Invisible Truth

"You're a speaker," responded one of the Bible study ladies. Her words shocked and repulsed me. It took all my courage to get up the nerve to make a comment in my first adult Bible study, after spending weeks simply listening.

"Please, don't say that!" I pleaded as I shrank further into my shell. I'm a back row, private intercessor, I thought. I would jump at solitary confinement if it were offered to me. Little did I know what lay hidden around the corner....

"You're a speaker," announced someone in a prayer group I attended shortly after the first incident.

No, I thought vehemently. Why do people keep telling me that? When I was applying to medical school it was bad enough fearing that God might send me to some remote foreign country. But speaking! - no, that was definitely worse.

God was dropping hints but fear blinded me from seeing His best for me. It would be almost two decades before I was ready to see His invisible truth. 

In the years that followed I learned to see so many invisible truths - that God loves me unconditionally, always and forever, without judgment or criticism. That truth began as just head knowledge (because the Bible said so), but it took years to experience His love - to know it in my heart. 

I learned that God's wisdom is available 24/7 because His Holy Spirit lives in me. He is the Spirit of wisdom and truth - always accessible any time of day or night. I never get a busy signal; He hears every prayer. When I commit each decision to Him and listen and wait for His answers, I make choices that might not have occurred to me if I had not asked for His guidance.  
 
Things that seem obvious to me are not always the wisest plan. I watched neighbors walking their dogs in the cold, rain, and snow and dozens of times declared, "I'm so glad we don't have a dog!" Until one day my friend's dog spontaneously sat in my lap while we talked in her car. That comforting feeling stayed with me for days afterward. 

The next week I took my mother to her hair salon. In the center of the waiting room coffee table, on top of all the other magazines that I was looking forward to perusing, was an over-sized book on dog breeds. You  have got to be kidding. There is no way I want a dog! But something (or Someone) drew me to flip through the book. My husband is allergic to dogs so I focused on the hypoallergenic breeds.

Over the next few weeks I heard "Maltese" over and over so many times in my mind that just to keep peace I looked at our local paper for Maltese breeders. After numerous confirmations, out of obedience, I purchased B.J. (Blessings and Joy). He has been a source of joy, laughter and comfort for the last four years. God's invisible truth has truly blessed our family. B.J. is now a certified therapy dog, visiting the elderly and bringing them joy as well.

Years ago no one could have convinced me that speaking would become a delight, but it is; or that a dog would be a blessing. What I could not see, but God did, has opened up a whole new realm of opportunities. 

God's truths are often invisible. We discover them by seeking Him first and His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). We find them by committing all our ways to Him and allowing Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6).

Takeaway Points: 

•  The obvious is not always God's best for us. It pays to ask.
•  By committing our decisions and plans to the Lord each day and  seeking His wisdom, we will begin to see His invisible truths.
•  As we experience His answers to our prayers, we will experience His love in our heart. 
• When you pray, give God your fears first. Don't let fear blind you to His invisible truths.