Day 159, Year 1

The Mighty and Wise Hidden One

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5 NKJV)

“Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!” (Isaiah 45:15 NKJV)

God, who created heaven and earth, is almighty and wise, but He often chooses to hide Himself from many people. Why? Because He wants to test our trust in Him. In fact, if the Almighty Creator would like to reveal Himself and demand all creation to submit to Him, how difficult would that be? It would be effortless for Him. But God has decided to hide Himself most of the time in order to test all humans. While He often conceals Himself, He allows various idols and sufferings to take place in the world, putting our wisdom, faith, and discernment to the test. Actually, to truly believe in God according to the Bible enables us to experience His wisdom and power tremendously. 

No matter how long or short their lives, people are tested by God throughout their time on earth. Those who passed away at a young age are often tested in their capacities to endure pain, while others are tested in their faith and wisdom according to His standards. For we who believe in Jesus, He tests whether we truly believe that all knowledge, wisdom, and power abide in Him alone, and whether we trust and seek Him. These invisible capacities of holding various truths are tested in different ways on different people.

Jesus Christ, who hides Himself yet is full of wisdom and power, actually gently seeks His lost sheep. In the following days, we are going to meditate on the Lord, who no longer always hides Himself. In the New Testament, He seems not to be omnipotent and omniscient. At least, He stated that He does not even know the day of His final return on earth (Matthew 24:36). All of these invite us to believe in a mighty yet gentle Lord, a true God and true man who usually hides Himself yet is full of wisdom. In the various verses to come, readers can feel that the Lord is very understanding and compassionate towards human weaknesses, defects, and insufficiencies. It is in these weaknesses, defects, and insufficiencies that we should learn to trust in Him and continuously seek His power and wisdom, allowing Him to renew our lives. The Lord Jesus always wants to guide us step-by-step onto the path of salvation and grace, transforming our inner lives into His unimaginable abundance.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you believe that the Most High God is full of wisdom and power? If so, how does this relate to you personally?

2) Do you think that it is reasonable for God to hide Himself most of the time? Why?