Tuesday, November 7th, 2023
This past weekend, before we started worship at church, I kept hearing the words of a song in my head: “I’m gonna see a mystery.” It was to the melody of “I’m gonna see a victory” but I kept hearing “mystery”. Interestingly enough, about 3 or 4 songs in we sang “See a Victory” by Elevation Worship. I searched for the word “mystery” in the Bible and found a few references in both the Old and New Testament. I will share a few of those in a little bit. First, I want to look at the definition of the word and share a little about what I believe God is saying through that phrase. According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, mystery means:
1. A profound secret; something wholly unknown or something kept cautiously concealed, and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder; 2. In religion, any thing in the character or attributes of God, or in the economy of divine providence, which is not revealed to man; 3. That which is beyond human comprehension until explained. In this sense, mystery often conveys the idea of something awfully sublime or important; something that excites wonder.
There is so much there, and I just couldn’t leave any of it out! Isn’t it true that the Christian walk is full of mystery? Many of us love a good mystery. We love it in movies, and we love it in books. But both of those things have a finite end and it’s certainly a lot shorter than our lives on this earth. I believe God is challenging me/us to stretch the tolerance of our mystery timeline. What if it takes decades for God to answer one of our prayers? What if in our place of excited wonder God takes us to a whole other level of closeness to and dependence on Him? If God just answered all of our prayers or solved all of our mysteries as soon as they came to the surface, would we truly pursue God for who He is, or just for what He can do for us? I think all of us, believer and pre-believer, need to relinquish our “need-to-know” mentality. Technology and media have made it harder and harder for us to get to this place, which I believe is all part of satan’s plan. Right from the Garden of Eden, he has told the lie that our eyes will be opened, and we can see good and evil as God does. Let’s look at some scriptures about God’s mysteries. Psalm 25:2 says:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
God loves concealing things. Sometimes it’s to protect us and sometimes it’s to stir up that thing in us that wants to search, that thing that keeps crying out to God until we know for sure that we have heard from Him. He desires that we would pursue Him with our whole being, mind, body and soul. I love how this scripture makes a way for that thing in us that loves to solve a good mystery. He isn’t saying, “Oh, no that’s Mine and you can’t be a part of it.”. Instead He says, “I love hiding things just as much as you love to find them.” Let’s look at a New Testament scripture. It’s Colossians 1:26-27:
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
I love this image. The mystery that is God became alive among us in the form of Jesus Christ and when He died for us, He left us the Holy Spirit who continues to reveal to us the mysteries that God desires to share with His saints. Sure, there are still some things that will remain a mystery, but because of what Jesus did on the cross, we all have the mystery-revealing Holy Spirit dwelling within us. When we ask, it will be given, when we seek, we will find, and when we knock it will be opened. We don’t have to go to a tabernacle to find Him. We are the tabernacle.
Final Thoughts…
So this phrase “I’m gonna see a mystery” is a “Yes/And” statement. Yes, walking with Christ will always contain numerous mysteries. And, according to the promises in God’s word, He has created in us a longing to search out these mysteries. His word also says that He will reveal them to His saints. Granted, this revelation may not come exactly when we think it should, but it will come exactly when God knows is best for us. I’m thinking that sometimes this may mean after we get to heaven! I know that pushes some of our “need-to-know” buttons (mine included), but if we have all of eternity to spend with Him does it really matter when we find out? Let’s learn to not fear the mystery. Let’s learn to jump on board the mystery-express knowing that whatever comes around the next bend or whatever stops we make, God will not waste any second of it. He will use every tick and every tock to bring us closer to Him, heal what is broken, and break off every chain so we can help others see the beautiful mystery that God is and has designed for us.