Leaving the Secret Things to God
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God” – Deuteronomy 29:29
One of the greatest aspects about man is his inquisitiveness. At the same time, one of his greatest failures is the very same. Man needs to discern when his questioning and desire for knowledge falls within the bounds of wisdom. If man truly applied himself diligently on obtaining wisdom, knowledge and insight within the borders of godliness, he would find himself walking not only in contentment but also in safety. How do we achieve this? By submitting it all to the Lord our God, for the secret things belong to Him. They are His to discern, His to carry and His to deal with. Many a time they are issues that our punitive, finite minds could not comprehend, for they may well be things eternal in nature and outworking. In such instances, it may only be in the eternal Kingdom that God will reveal them and where they could be understood. It may be that our mortal bodies could not cope with trying to digest such things. They are best left to God who, in His infinite wisdom, knows all things and how to handle all things. They may also be for His glory, which He desires at present to keep unto Himself.
When Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place, was about ten or eleven years old, she asked her father a question while they were travelling on a train. She records in her book: “He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads, and set it on the floor. ‘Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?’ He said. I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning. ‘It’s too heavy,’ I said. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.’ And I was satisfied. More than satisfied—wonderfully at peace. There were answers to this and all my hard questions—for now I was content to leave them in my father’s keeping” (End quote).
Are we not God’s children? Are there not questions, the answers to which would be a burden too heavy for us to carry, and our Heavenly Father knows it? Does He not carry these things for us as a loving and caring Father? Can we not rest, as Corrie did, in the knowledge of His faithfulness and trust Him? Do you have such a relationship with your Father in Heaven where you can do this? Ask God your questions, if need be, but be content if He keeps the answers from you. Oh, what a glorious thing it is to hide in the shelter of the Most High and take refuge under His wings! When the sough of the swirling wind cries eerily around us and the trees bend and creak agonisingly from the tempest, what still, quiet confidence we have in His presence. Our minds can instantly quieten the moment we relinquish all to our God; and the tranquillity and peace that He bestows upon us underpins His love in all circumstances and mighty power, mercy and faithfulness through all storms. Relinquish it all then, and rest in Him. Is He not faithful to also carry you through? Put your hand in His, and let Him lift you to Himself that you may rest your troubled head upon His breast. There will come a time – when we are in heaven – when God will reveal the secret things. The apostle Paul says, “Then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Then we will be able to understand it and bear it. For now, it may just do us harm and even possibly crush us under the load. Cast your cares and burdens onto the Lord. Let Him carry them, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Rest therein, be satisfied and content to leave them in your Father’s keeping – and be, as Corrie was, wonderfully at peace.
Judson McCawl