Receiving God's revelation

Matthew 11: 25 - 27

...you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children....

Last Sunday, the academic dean of the MBTS (Baptist Theological Seminary) was preaching at the church I visited. I took the opportunity to ask him about the M. Divinity program! With a smile, he asked me a very piercing question: why do you want to do it? As we talked, I found out that the program is ministry oriented and does not require study of the original Biblical languages, but requires that the student be in ministry. Yes, I guess I love the challenge of putting my mind to studies. Perhaps I have had a long enough 'break' after graduation from STM last year.....to get 'restless' again. I would like to believe it is not just a 'hobby' but that it will help me in ministry. However, knowing myself, I have to be careful in case this becomes a distraction to deeper engagement with people because nowadays I am beginning to realize that any Christian ministry is about people....our Lord and Master modelled that for us himself.....as he showed us how he taught and accompanied the Twelve and also how people oriented his wider ministry was.

It is so true that much head knowledge can even be a stumbling block to receiving God's revelation. Often in the gospels our Lord reminds us to be child-like (not childish) in our faith. Sometimes God seems to 'hide' himself from the 'know it alls', perhaps not so much because he intentionally holds back but merely because such people are too 'full' of themselves to be humble receptacles. Yes, God has gifted us with intellects to know him. But he has also given us other faculties....especially the right brain ones like creativity and imagination. It is true that children are very receptive to Scripture at a young age, when their natural creativity is still very much alive. They may have questions but these arise from their heart and not so much from their heads. And so they are more ready for the 'heart' answers that we as adults are often skeptical about.

I am glad that God has been encouraging me to develop the right brain gifts, in a way that balances my tendency to intellectualize. I enjoy photography - it encourages me to see things from different angles, as I try to take creative pictures. Listening to music (since I can't play any instrument except very basic piano!) has helped me for example to more deeply appreciate the words of psalms that have been set to lovely tunes. Art is something I do wish I could do more often.....and there have been attempts to use simple drawings as I journal. God will be able to reveal many things to us as we open ourselves to him in new ways. He is a God who takes such great delight in us...that I would imagine his joy (as a parent feels) when we receive the revelation of his presence with us...moment by moment.