There is something about a “hidden” or “secret” thing that intrigues me—there is something about a mystery that makes me want dig and discover and seek and find and understand…
But why?
I’ve been thinking a lot about God’s secrets… and what could be the things on His heart…
When we want to really get to know someone deeply and through and through, don’t we also find ourselves wanting to know their deepest secrets too? I know I do.
This morning I am drawn into this passage in the book of Daniel.
The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel
19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered,
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
21
“It is He who changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!
22
“It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.
23
“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers,
For You have given me wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,
For You have made known to us [the solution to] the king’s matter.” —Daniel 2:19-23 AMP
The Message version reads so beautifully…
19-23 That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying,
“Blessed be the name of God,
forever and ever.
He knows all, does all:
He changes the seasons and guides history,
He raises up kings and also brings them down,
he provides both intelligence and discernment,
He opens up the depths, tells secrets,
sees in the dark—light spills out of him!
God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise!
You made me wise and strong.
And now you’ve shown us what we asked for.
You’ve solved the king’s mystery.”
I love the example we see of Daniel blessing the Lord, glorifying the Lord and pointing it all back to the Lord and what He has done. He’s reflecting it all back onto the Lord! This really stands out to me!
We can really see a lot about Daniel’s character… God revealed a secret to him, and Daniel points right back to God—he doesn’t become prideful, he doesn’t use the secret for his own glory, for his own gain, he doesn’t let it all “seep in”, he doesn’t make it about his own image, instead he reflects it right back to God and says, “Look at what God did! Bless His name!”
The same God who revealed these secrets and hidden things and mysteries to Daniel is doing the same thing today. And how incredible that God longs to be able to reveal His secrets to us…
“He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.” —Job12:22
“And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”—Luke 8:10
But it can be dangerous to “hold a secret” if we aren’t able to be trustworthy with that secret —if we can’t be trusted to keep that secret if it isn’t meant to be shared or known by anyone else….
…If that person can’t be trusted not to “use” that precious and holy secret that has been shared from the pure heart of the Lord.
A secret is powerful. One can do the wrong thing with a powerful secret if their heart isn’t in the right place.
“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” —Proverbs 11:13
Psalm 25:14 says,
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and he will show them His covenant.”
“There’s a private place reserved for the lovers of God, where they sit near Him and receive the revelation-secrets of His promises.” (TPT)
As we dwell with Him in the secret place, this is the place where He shapes us, transforms us, teaches us, tests us, and shows us more about His character. This is the place where we get to know Him intimately… this is the place where we open up our hearts to Him, and were we take a good look at the things there in our hearts —many things we don’t like to look at. And this is the place where He transforms and purifies our hearts, and puts our hearts back together in the way He originally designed them to be.
Here is the important question:
Why would I want to know His secrets? What is my heart’s motive?
Is my heart in the place of just wanting to know the “scoop”…..the “gossip”?
Would I go and blab, would I go and slander, would I go and use that secret for my own “gain” or “glory” or for power? Do I just want to be seen as someone who knows all the secrets, someone who is wise?
Or is my heart in the place of simply just wanting such a closeness with my Heavenly Father, that He would trust me enough to be able to share His secrets with? That I would bless Him, that I would fear Him, that I would obey, and that I would always point it ALL back to Him?
God knows what our heart’s true motive is. He sees our hearts through and through.
And He’s faithful to transform our hearts if we let Him take us through His process— if we trust Him and follow Him through that process, whatever it looks like. ?
“And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”—Psalm 139:24
Oh God, I want to be one who is so close with You—that You can trust and reveal Your secrets to! Search and shape and refine and uproot and grow and so purify my heart, purify my motives, that I may be one who is trustworthy and faithful to You, one that You can share Your secrets with, one who will bless Your name! That I might be one that You can trust, one who will always reflect it all back to You and bless Your name! ☀️ Thank You, Lord Jesus for making a way.
-Heather ?