Discover more about being in the spiritual unknown and how it can actually be good for you
How do we deal with the unknown as children of God? The one thing that comforts me about it is that even Jesus Himself had a perception of the unknown. In Matthew 24:36, it says that no one knows the day or the hour of the second coming except the Father. So to some degree, you could say, there is some notion of the unknown for Jesus the Son also. Of course, they are three in one but let’s focus on the Father and Son as separate for this point.
Jesus clearly suggests that there are always things that are beyond our knowledge. Things that sometimes only the Father, the very Creator and source of all things can know. Okay. So, if we find ourselves in the unknown, does that mean the Father hides things from us?
Absolutely. A father of real concern and true love for his children would never reveal the entire truth of tomorrow or of life and of purpose to a child that is either not ready, not mature enough to act upon it or completely incapable of even comprehending it. All it would do is harm them. It'd cause frustration and impatience, doubt and maybe even loss of faith. God did not create us in order to make us suffer. It is the devil that takes pleasure in making man suffer. Our God is a God of peace, love and justice. (John 16:33, 1 John 4:8, Deuteronomy 32:4)
If you find yourself in a time of the unknown today, you’re not alone. The fog will lift, even if right now that seems impossible. The unknown should be embraced rather than feared: all because it has the potential of bringing us into a further revelation of who we truly are.
The unknown should be embraced rather than feared.
Becoming who we truly are is vital. But why is that?
In Isaiah 64:8 it states, “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
Our very existence is like that of clay: mouldable, soft and with the potential of becoming more than what it is. Clay goes through stages that sometimes seem tender, other times brutal. All in order that it may be shaped into the best it is capable of becoming. If the clay had a mind of its own and had the ability to walk away from the Potter (and it did) wouldn’t you think that to be foolish? A lump of clay with the belief that it can shape itself, that just by being out in nature, water, lightning, dirt, it will somehow have the capability to sharpen itself into what it needs to be? Would you think that possible? Yes, it would certainly turn it into something but one thing is for sure: even a diamond found in the rough is not truly valuable and brilliant until clearly polished and refined under the two skilful hands of a gemologist -- or in the clay's case, the Potter.
Praise God for Jesus because due to His sacrifice and blood, we are able to find the Potter's workshop with ease. In Ecclesiastes 10 it says fools (people of depraved minds) are always learning but never change. Sometimes we can find ourselves in the church, learning from every book, soaking in new revelations, hearing every new prayer or studying different interpretations, and yet our lives remain the same, our character lacks true change.
I don’t know about you but that is my greatest fear: to live a lifetime having never becoming my own person and the diamond I was meant to become. Instead, having remained nothing but a lumpy clump of clay.
The Bible insists drastically on dying to self, as Paul puts it. Because only by dying to ourselves can we become more like Christ, and in turn show our true flawless selves. The sad part is none of us can truly have light come in and rid us of darkness without Jesus. He is the Prince of light: He is light itself. Therefore how can we change if the light is non-existent in our hearts?
I’ll leave you with this: I’m reading and studying this book right now by Jennifer LeClare, called ‘The Making of a Prophet’, and there is the most beautiful passage written about God as our Potter (2 Timothy 2:20-21):
"We all have the capability of becoming a great work of art, a utensil in the potter's workshop made out of the finest gold and shiniest diamonds. But because of free will, we have a choice now. The sad news is that some people really do live their whole lives as nothing but wooden or pure clay utensils: yes, perhaps capable of holding soup to the mouth but utensils that would never leave the drawer. Whereas God desires for you to be displayed on the royal table, being used by the King Himself. And let’s be honest, a true King deserves a true utensil when he creates something, and the very best. For the more refined and purified it is, the sharper and clearer the King’s use will be of it." (p28)
"God desires for you to be displayed on the royal table, being used by the King Himself."
If you want to be used or want to reach true beauty, allow yourself to be shaped. And if you're in the wilderness of the unknown, that's exactly where the moulding tends to be most vigorous. So take heart -- nothing is wasted when you're with the Lord.
If you are in the unknown as you read this, trust that the wilderness is the Potter's attempt at helping you become the diamond you were meant to be, and in turn more like Christ. As difficult as it is, this is your test of trust. Do you trust that the Father knows better? Do you trust that things will not always remain as they are right now? You are merely walking through this season, it is not your permanent place.
If you need comfort, turn to the Word of God (the Psalms are a great place to find words that perhaps express your frustration), read and study it and allow them to be your foothold in making it through this season. Ask God to come into your heart if you're unsure of the existence of light in your life. Jesus will enter in and He will change you bit by bit, faithfully moulding you. You cannot do it alone. Not only will you henceforth live from victory to victory, but you'll be better as a person and stronger as a child of God.