HABAKKUK 3:3,4 "God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power." (NASV)
Here we have a wonderful description of the glory of God. His glory is manifested for all to see! And He says, "My glory I will not share with another." Isa. 42.8. But, here is a strange statement. "The hiding of His power." Is not the power of God displayed in the glory of God? Surely it is.
The power of God is clearly seen in all creation. The radiance of the Sun is certainly a manifestation of its power. There could be no radiance without power. All we need do is look to the awesome forces of nature to see examples of God's incredible almighty power.
Surely He, who created the universe and all that is in it, has not hidden His power has He? Yes He has! In God's great wisdom He has hidden away the greatest power of all. Power greater than that used in the act of creation. Waiting to be unleashed at the proper time. In order to bring Him even greater glory and praise.
What is this power? Where is it hidden? And why? That's the mystery. "The mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, Who created all things." Eph. 3:9.
What is this power? It's the transforming power of life. The forces of nature as we call them are truly awesome at times. But they have had little effect in transforming the surface of the earth when compared with the power of life. There is no climate on earth, from the coldest to the hottest, from the sea to the desert, that life has not overcome. Life transforms all that it touches. For good or for ill, nothing remains the same when life begins its work. And God has chosen to hide His life.
Think of the effect that natural life has had upon the earth. Natural life that comes and goes. Life that is delicate, fragile, easy to lose, limited by space and time. Then think of the life of God, never ending, indestructible, eternal, unlimited, unstoppable.
The raw atomic power of God is not hidden. It is manifest for all to see, in the sun, the storm, the earthquake, the stars that shine. But a greater power than the storm is here. It is the living God that controls the storm. It is the life force, the power behind the storm, that is greater than the power of the storm. And few there are that know it. It’s hidden. Many can't begin to guess at the living God.
God has chosen to hide His life, His power. Where has He hidden it? In a seed. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by it self alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24. Here is the secret of life's power. The ability to reproduce.
But, first it must be hidden. In all of the higher forms of life reproduction involves planting a seed. In fertile ground. And then, at the appointed time, new life emerges and begins to bear fruit. So, God in His wisdom has planted a seed. He has hidden the power of His life; in a place you would not expect to find it. In a man! A man called the seed of Abraham, Gal. 3:16. A man called Jesus!
As a demonstration of the power of the life of this seed, God first planted Him in the earth. But, the earth, the grave, could not hold him. At the appointed time the seed came forth and began to bear fruit. And what is fruit but a container of more seed? From out of the "Dust of the earth" God made man. And into the dust of that same earth God began to plant the seed again. Over and over again. For "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" II Cor. 4:7a.
Where has God hidden His power? In the hearts of his people. He has filled them with the indestructible, unconquerable life of Jesus Christ. Why? "That the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves." II Cor. 4:7b.
"The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colos. 1:26,27.
This is what Paul spoke of when he prayed "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." Phil. 3:10. Paul knew that the supernatural, eternal, all powerful life of God had been planted in the soil of his own natural, delicate, fragile, limited, easy to lose life. He had seen miracles occur at the mere touch of his very own hand. He knew that he had no power to do such things. He knew the power was of God and not of himself. He wanted to know the source of that power. He wanted to be fully aware of the life of the living God working in him and through him.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul desired the same for all members of the body of Christ. And so he prayed in Eph. 1:18-19, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."
Jesus said, in Acts 1:8, "You shall receive power. when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses." God desires His hidden power to be revealed. He wants His transforming life manifested to the world. It is His desire that no person on earth, from the coldest to the hottest, from the sea to the desert, should not be changed by the power of Jesus Christ.
Is the power of God hidden in you? Or is it bringing Him greater glory by being manifested for all to see. Are you living by the power of your own natural, delicate, fragile, limited, easy to lose life? Or are you radiating the indestructible, unconquerable, transforming, resurrection life of Jesus Christ?
Here we have a wonderful description of the glory of God. His glory is manifested for all to see! And He says, "My glory I will not share with another." Isa. 42.8. But, here is a strange statement. "The hiding of His power." Is not the power of God displayed in the glory of God? Surely it is.
The power of God is clearly seen in all creation. The radiance of the Sun is certainly a manifestation of its power. There could be no radiance without power. All we need do is look to the awesome forces of nature to see examples of God's incredible almighty power.
Surely He, who created the universe and all that is in it, has not hidden His power has He? Yes He has! In God's great wisdom He has hidden away the greatest power of all. Power greater than that used in the act of creation. Waiting to be unleashed at the proper time. In order to bring Him even greater glory and praise.
What is this power? Where is it hidden? And why? That's the mystery. "The mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, Who created all things." Eph. 3:9.
What is this power? It's the transforming power of life. The forces of nature as we call them are truly awesome at times. But they have had little effect in transforming the surface of the earth when compared with the power of life. There is no climate on earth, from the coldest to the hottest, from the sea to the desert, that life has not overcome. Life transforms all that it touches. For good or for ill, nothing remains the same when life begins its work. And God has chosen to hide His life.
Think of the effect that natural life has had upon the earth. Natural life that comes and goes. Life that is delicate, fragile, easy to lose, limited by space and time. Then think of the life of God, never ending, indestructible, eternal, unlimited, unstoppable.
The raw atomic power of God is not hidden. It is manifest for all to see, in the sun, the storm, the earthquake, the stars that shine. But a greater power than the storm is here. It is the living God that controls the storm. It is the life force, the power behind the storm, that is greater than the power of the storm. And few there are that know it. It’s hidden. Many can't begin to guess at the living God.
God has chosen to hide His life, His power. Where has He hidden it? In a seed. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by it self alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24. Here is the secret of life's power. The ability to reproduce.
But, first it must be hidden. In all of the higher forms of life reproduction involves planting a seed. In fertile ground. And then, at the appointed time, new life emerges and begins to bear fruit. So, God in His wisdom has planted a seed. He has hidden the power of His life; in a place you would not expect to find it. In a man! A man called the seed of Abraham, Gal. 3:16. A man called Jesus!
As a demonstration of the power of the life of this seed, God first planted Him in the earth. But, the earth, the grave, could not hold him. At the appointed time the seed came forth and began to bear fruit. And what is fruit but a container of more seed? From out of the "Dust of the earth" God made man. And into the dust of that same earth God began to plant the seed again. Over and over again. For "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" II Cor. 4:7a.
Where has God hidden His power? In the hearts of his people. He has filled them with the indestructible, unconquerable life of Jesus Christ. Why? "That the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves." II Cor. 4:7b.
"The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colos. 1:26,27.
This is what Paul spoke of when he prayed "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." Phil. 3:10. Paul knew that the supernatural, eternal, all powerful life of God had been planted in the soil of his own natural, delicate, fragile, limited, easy to lose life. He had seen miracles occur at the mere touch of his very own hand. He knew that he had no power to do such things. He knew the power was of God and not of himself. He wanted to know the source of that power. He wanted to be fully aware of the life of the living God working in him and through him.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul desired the same for all members of the body of Christ. And so he prayed in Eph. 1:18-19, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."
Jesus said, in Acts 1:8, "You shall receive power. when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses." God desires His hidden power to be revealed. He wants His transforming life manifested to the world. It is His desire that no person on earth, from the coldest to the hottest, from the sea to the desert, should not be changed by the power of Jesus Christ.
Is the power of God hidden in you? Or is it bringing Him greater glory by being manifested for all to see. Are you living by the power of your own natural, delicate, fragile, limited, easy to lose life? Or are you radiating the indestructible, unconquerable, transforming, resurrection life of Jesus Christ?
The Hiding of God’s Power
