God's Message Revealed

Years ago, I put tabs in my Bible, the kind that are attached to the page with clear pieces of plastic that have very sticky — and permanent — glue on them. One piece goes on the front side of the page and the other on the back, so the tab that identifies the book of the Bible sticks out from the edge.

One morning, my daily devotional reading sent me to the little book of Obadiah. It's one of those books that we don't often read — just one chapter, tucked in among the minor prophets between Amos and Jonah. I ran my fingers down the tabs and when I found it, I was dismayed to see that I had attached the tab around two pages, not just one. So, I could read only the introductory material that my Bible provides and the few verses at the end of the chapter that weren't hidden between those glued-together pages. Since the glue on those tabs is so permanent, my only option was to cut carefully around the edges of the piece, leaving a rectangular notch and releasing the top page so that I could read the main part of the book.

I had a temporary problem — most of the text of Obadiah was hidden from me. But for hundreds of years before Christ, the glorious news of the gospel was hidden from God's people.

Romans 16:25b-26 – This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. (NLT)

The Israelites saw only glimpses through prophetic utterances, the occasional pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, and promises of hope given throughout the Old Testament. Now, as believers, we have access, through the cross of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to God's deep secrets, "a plan kept secret from the beginning of time", so that we "might believe and obey him".

1 Corinthians 2:9b-10 – "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. (NLT)

Praise God for this revelation! Otherwise, how could we, in our human hearts, understand what God did when He sent His Son to die for us? How could we, on our own, understand the incredible gift that God gave us and the tremendous love and grace bestowed on us through Jesus' sacrifice?

God continues to reveal His deep secrets as we study His Word and learn more about Him. This revelation was "prepared for those who love him". Do we love Him enough to live for Him, to honour Him with our lives and our actions, to take time to read and study His Word, and to share this wonderful revelation with others?

Prayer: Father, thank You for loving us enough to send Your Son to die for us. Thank You for choosing us and revealing to us Your deep secrets and Your message. Lead us to even deeper understanding as we study Your Word. Amen.