God is Not in a Hurry

Revelation, both in history and in our own lives, is so gradual that we tend to think it does not exist at all.  On the other hand, because it is so gradual, we also tend to think that we have the whole picture once we have a part of it.

Many years ago, when the eyes and ears of my soul first began to open to the revelation of God in my own life, I thought I understood everything.  Historically, both the Jews and later the Christians also thought they understood everything when they were just beginning to receive revelation.

It is the human condition to think we "know it all."  From the teen who believes his knowledge is far superior to that of his parents to the Pharisee who has studied and therefore "knows," we all want to believe we've "got it."

I once had a very clear image of a retarded child, a girl, who stood in the midst of the whole heavenly court as Jesus patiently began to teach her the first step of a dance.  As she practiced the step, He stood and waited until she got it.  Excitedly, she did the one step before the whole assembly, again and again.  "I've got it!" she cried; "I've got it!"  She truly believed she had learned the whole dance---but then, she was retarded.  Then, smilingly, He called her back to Him and began to teach her the next step.  "I've got it!  I've got it!" she cried again and began repeating the step over and over, adding it to the first one. 

I did get it:  I was the retarded child who thought she knew the whole dance because she had learned the first step. 

Today I read this from The World of Prayer by Adrienne von Speyr:

It is one of the laws of love that the lover cannot completely fathom the essence of the beloved.  No human being can calculate or possess another's reactions in advance, or count on them as if they were not the expression of a free personal nature.  If anyone could do this, the other person would instantly cease to be a spiritual being.  Love is built up on the incalculability of the beloved.  He must always disclose and surrender himself afresh, continually surprising and overwhelming the lover.  If ever this movement were to stop, to be replaced by a conclusive knowledge of each other, love would come to an end.  

No wonder God took 2000 years to reveal Himself to the Jews (the Old Testament) and another 2000 years to reveal Himself to the Christian church (the New Testament and beyond).  If we think we've "got it," we still have much to learn.  If we have stopped seeing and hearing revelation afresh each day, we have stopped dancing with the Lord and are just showing off in front of the assembly.