Revelation. That’s one of those scary words that I usually leave to the theologians and my friends that went to seminary. What would I know about revelation? But as I reflected on it in recent weeks, many thoughts came to me. And I realized that revelation comes in many different ways, usually when we’re not expecting it. And sometimes we don’t even recognize it for what it is. When we do, we experience a blessing that can’t be explained.
Sometimes that “Aha!” moment will come to me through other people. Someone will interpret a truth of God in a fresh way that I’d never thought of before, in a lecture, book, song, sermon, or even a Facebook post. I’ll hear it and think, “Hey, that makes sense to me now!” or “I’d never thought of it that way before!” and I’m grateful for the fresh or deeper understanding of something I’d wrestled with or only scratched the surface of.
Usually for me, it comes from reading something again, but understanding it a new way due to my own more recent experiences. This has happened for me a lot when reading my Bible. Depending on what I had recently gone through or am experiencing at the time, a certain verse or passage will just mean so much more to me than it ever had before. The Psalms have had this effect on me many times. Once in our twenties, my stepsister and I had gotten sucked into a class action suit and were being countersued by a bank we had both previously worked for. We would call each other and cry on the phone because we were so scared. But then I would read the Psalms, where David wrestles with many different kinds of giants in his life, and remembers that God is on his side. These verses meant so much more to me because of what I was experiencing.
Occasionally, the “Aha” moment will just be remembering something simple but profound that I’d buried in my mind and not taken to heart for a while. I recently had this experience. Work itself had been fine that day, but the workplace environment had been discouraging. When I finally realized consciously that I was discouraged, suddenly I remembered that God exists. That was it. God exists. Immediately my heart lifted. I was surprised at the instant effect. I’ve always believed that God existed, so why did it strike me in such a way just then? Instant revelation from His heart to mine. He didn’t shame me for forgetting Him, but reminded me that since He exists, it also means He’s good, He’s in control, and everything else that I believe is true about Him. All of that came to me in an instant, and flooded me with relief.
Matthew 16:17
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.”
Sometimes it feels like He’s silent. But I believe (based on my experiences) that if we are waiting patiently to hear from Him, spending time with Him in whatever way we know how to, then when our hearts are ready, we’ll hear what we need to know. We’ll understand truth in a fresh way. And we will be blessed by that moment, however dramatic or simple it is.
About the Author
Jessie is an educator, currently in the role of academic advisor at a charter school after teaching there and overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to join the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.