“Call unto me and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty [hidden or unsearchable] things which thou knowest not.” -Jeremiah 33:3
When I was fresh out of high school, I was in Santo Domingo, which is the Capital of the Dominican Republic. We went to a small church somewhere in the heart of the city and listened to a sermon in Spanish, so naturally I was not able to actively engage in what was being said, especially since my Spanish is pretty much limited to adding an O at the end of English words. However in this little church there was a lavishly painted wall with an engagingly large banner painted as a mural behind the preacher. On the banner was a verse in Spanish (of course), and the scripture address, which I was able to recognize. It was the above verse.
I looked it up and to my surprise; I had never heard anyone quote it before. It seemed a rather novel concept to me at the time, so I did exactly what it said. I spent the sermon just praying that God would show me great and unsearchable things. I think I remember that my motive at the time was to gain a lot of bible knowledge so that I could impress other people with it. It was a rather carnal and selfish prayer I think. What is even more surprising is that God answered this prayer for me. He has answered it hundreds, if not thousands of times over in my life. The irony is not that he answered it, but rather…how he did it.
The one thing that is more unsearchable than all things is the human heart.1 It is above all things, deceitfully wicked. We obviously understand that when the Bible speaks about the heart, it is speaking meta-physically. Some have argued, and I happen to agree (though it is not a hill I would die on) that the heart probably speaks of and indicates the culmination of what he is compiled of that cannot be seen or measured. Or the seat of his emotions, his psyche, and his personality.
God has faithfully shown me the self-deception of my own heart. He shows me, time and time again, through his word, and through the Spirit’s conviction, and through brothers…sisters, my wife…family members, even my dog. He brings to light unsearchable things. In order that I may repent from them, and allow my nature to be displaced with His own. I believe that when these events occur, God is plucking logs out of my eyes and sometimes it takes a mighty collision.
1. Jeremiah 17:5-11
2. Light From the Heart Nebula by Matt Russel
