REVELATION OF GOD’S HEART (3)

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and REVELATION in the knowledge of Him” – Ephesians 1:17                            

Paul the apostle gave us a Pattern Prayer for the REVELATION of GOD’S HEART: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and REVELATION in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph.1: 17-18). Paul prayed that God would give Believers in Christ a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true knowledge of Him, for three essentials: to know the hope of His Calling; the riches of His Glory; and the exceeding greatness of His Power.

When we purchase new equipment, it comes with an owner’s manual that instructs on how to operate it. People usually skim the manual quickly or never bother to read it at all, considering it too tedious. They often think that they’re smart enough to figure out the device without reading the instructions, until they discover that the product doesn’t work right! They may then go back and read the manual! God has given us His Word as the manual for salvation and life. It tells us all we need to know to walk with God and live wisely in light of eternity. But, as it is with many owners’ manuals, we read it superficially or hardly at all and then wonder why life isn’t working the way it’s supposed to! We need to go back and read the manual carefully, asking God for wisdom and revelation!

Everyone knows that there is God, including those who foolishly deny His existence (Pro.14:1). However, not everyone knows God. Paul emphatically states that by nature people do not know God: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom DID NOT KNOW GOD, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1Cor.1:21). He wrote of “the Gentiles who DO NOT KNOW GOD” (1The.4:5). Again, he affirmed, “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods” (Gal.4:8). Ultimately, divine judgement awaits all of such: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who DO NOT KNOW GOD, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2The.1:8).               

It takes Revelation for someone who has been blind to the Glory of God to come to see Him for Who He really is! Of course, the natural eyes, ears, and brains are part of the process, because without them we cannot even see, hear, or construe the natural things that reflect God’s glory. But these natural means are not decisive in revealing and encouterin the depth of God’s Heart. The Lord Jesus said: “Seeing they do not see, and hearing tgey do not hear, nor do they understand” (Mt.13:13). Something more than the use of the natural eyes, ears, and brains must happen. This is what Paul described as: “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (v.18). The English Standard Version refers to “the eyes of your HEART.”  The heart has eyes to see into divine realms!

This heart is more than the blood-pumping organ in our chest. There is more to Man than flesh and bones or mere chemicals in a sack of skin. This “heart” is the real Person – the “hidden person of the heart” (1Pet.3:4). This inner person or spirit man, when enlightened by God’s Spirit, sees and knows things beyond what the senses can. There is a spiritual seeing beyond natural seeing. There is a spiritual hearing beyond natural hearing. There is spiritual discerning beyond natural reasoning. It is as though there is a God-shaped template designed and set by God Himself in every human heart; one that corresponds to His Glory. Once this Glory is seen with the eyes of the heart, it fits the template so perfectly that we would know its reality – that’s the Revelation of God’s Heart!