Four Secrets (1.30.13)

Tell a child you have a secret, and you have his undivided attention. 
All of us children, big and little, young and old, love secrets. 
We love to hear secrets and we love to tell them. : )

Churches have so many secrets, that they have to hire someone to keep track of them. 
They call her a SECRETary. Our church has four. 
Today, I am opening the vault and revealing four of the best kept secrets in the Kingdom of God.

SECRET #1 -- GOD HAS BIG PLANS FOR YOU

Jeremiah 29:11 says it best, "I know the plans I have for you: plans for your welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." His plans for us fall into two categories---earthly and heavenly.

SECRET #2 -- HE IS NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE

In His compassion, God makes big plans for us. In His wisdom, He does not tell us what they are. He protects us from knowledge of the future for two reasons.

  1) We could not handle it. 

  2) We would mess it up.

Suppose the Lord told you that one day you would become the President of the United States, living in power and luxury for the rest of your life?  Who could handle news like that without becoming distracted? Scripture promises that the Lord will not put more on us than we can bear. One way He does that, is by withholding details about our future. The burdens would rob us of our joy and threaten to destroy us in advance; while the blessings would distract us from our responsibilities of the moment.

SECRET #3 -- GOD IS WORKING ON HIS PLANS, THIS VERY MOMENT

He is getting you ready for the future and getting the future ready for you.

Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also." - John 14:1-6. He is getting Heaven ready for us.  He is getting us ready for Heaven. One way God prepares us for future challenges is by giving us difficulties and hardships. He strengthens us in the same way a personal trainer builds our muscles - by laying on stress.

"It is good for me that I was afflicted," the psalmist said, "that I might learn thy statutes." - Psalm 119:71 

SECRET #4 -- YOUR JOB IS TO BE FAITHFUL

Bloom where you are planted, as the saying goes. 

The way to be ready for tomorrow's opportunities is to do our job today, no matter how insignificant or routine.