If you don't SHUT UP, God won't SHOW UP
God is not lonely, yet loves to keep friendship. From the Bible, we discover Abraham was God's friend.
Isaiah 41:8
But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I've chosen, the descendants of Abraham, My friend.
Of course, friends do not keep things away from each other. That was why God opened up on some certain things to Abraham.
To be precise, when God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, God visited this his dear friend, Abraham, and revealed to him his plan and mission to end this sinful nation before he carried it out.
Of course, before the time God revealed this mission to Abraham (even after that time), nobody knew about it. Invariably, it was a secret.
If you read up the story, you will discover Abraham didn't reveal the mission to anyone, not even to his wife.
Hope you remember Abraham's nephew, Lot, was residing in Sodom when God revealed the deadly mission to this his dear friend?
Abraham knew the secret, yet kept it away from lot who even lived there, in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Although this sounds absurd, sort of, but this is the kind of trait God wants to see in the person whom he will entrust his secret with, as discovered in the Bible.
Some people — even some ministers of God — do not know that it is not everything God reveals to them that should be exposed. They feel if God does not want a secret exposed, he won't reveal it to them.
Abraham never reveal the mission to anyone even though he was not told to keep it to himself. He must have known based on his friendship with God that secrets should be kept as such — secret — no matter what.
On the contrary, some ministers of God will tell you they can never keep anything from their wives.
Good...good virtue.
However, revealing "everything" God tells you to your wife is not a good virtue to God.
This strange and scarce attitude is what we all noticed in Abraham's life when God told him to sacrifice his son, his ONLY SON.
Have you ever read of how Abraham revealed this request of God to his wife?
In fact, even Isaac, his son, was not privy to the information, as close as he was to his father.
Hope you are beginning to see the kind of person Abraham was?
This was why God confided in Abraham. In fact, you will never see anywhere in the Bible where God told Abraham something and instructed him not to tell anyone. He knew him to be that kind of person, already. So, there was no need stressing himself with such details.
Mind you, there are people, in the Bible days, that God knew keeping secrets with them would be fine. However, these people could open up this secret to people they trust or probably write it if they were not told to keep the secrets to themselves.
One of such people was Daniel. Take a look at the scripture below...
Daniel 12:4
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Can you see that Daniel was specifically instructed here to shut up the words he heard from the Angels he saw?
Had it been that instruction was not given, trust Daniel, he would have written it down for Christians like us to read.
So, I won't be wrong to say John, the apostle, was not different from Daniel in this kind of thing.
Just like today — nowadays, I mean — you will see several ministers of God revealing what God showed them on different social media.
Funny enough, nobody ask them for what God showed them, yet they keep answering questions no one is seeking an answer to.
Who sent them?
Of course, if God wants them to reveal this to anyone or everyone, he will specifically give out the instruction.
Later, after making this gruesome mistake of revealing what shouldn't be exposed, God will keep to himself. As a result, these ministers of God will begin to hold programs upon programs so as to bring down more of the presence of God.
And for those who are not ministers, they will start attending every night vigil in this world, attend every concert in the world, every special program and every prayer program organized by every popular pastor in the books and crannies of the world...all because they are seeking the presence or face of God, which they got on a platter of Gold at the initial stage of their lives or ministries.
Do they even have to go this far to get the attention of God?
Is God that far from his people?
As long as you are willing to keep your mouth shut, God will always show up even when you don't need him.
Do you think God did not know that Sarah was barren?
As strange as it is, Abraham knew this, too, but did not say anything about it whenever he discussed things with God; after all, was he not God's friend?
But Abraham knew God will always meet his needs even if he didn't ask for anything. This is why I keep on telling people that you can't be God's own and still be sweating to get the essential things you need from him.
Do you think God is a father who will wait for his children to cry of hunger before he gives them food?
If you have to cry and cry before you get your essential needs — food, cloth and shelter — from God, then it means you need to double-check your relationship with him. Something is definitely wrong with your relationship with him, believe you me.
John 8:32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Matthew 6:32-34...
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS that YOU NEED ALL THESE THINGS.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
What if God keeps a particular secret from you even though you are his friend?
Don't be pertubed, it is nothing bad. Even as a friend of God, he may decide to keep some things from you.
Or do you think it was everything God had in mind that he revealed to Abraham?
Of course, they were several other things he kept away from him.
In as much as he loves to reveal his close-guarded secrets with some of his friends, he hates when someone tries to find out what he has kept secret to himself.
The consequence of such action is nothing inconsequential at all.
Moving on...
Going through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will discover anyone who tries to get knowledge of what God keeps secrets always get punished for it.
The moment Adam and Eve knew what God kept secret from them was the day the turn of their lives changed from good to bad.
They lost
1. comfort
2. luxury
3. abundance
4. immortality and
5. intimacy with God.
Please, if one loses these 5 things in life, what is left living for?
God save us all...
Therefore, as a child of God, learn to SHUT UP so that God can always SHOW UP for you.
In conclusion, if ordinary human being keep secret with you and you tell someone you trust not to tell another person, how will God trust you?
Don't forget, whether you notice it or not, whether it is a trivial or serious matter, God knows everything we do, come rain, come shine.
Proverbs 25:9 NLT
When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret.
Proverbs 11:13 NLT
A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
QUESTION
what was the sin of sodom and gomorrah?
Sodom and Gomorrah were known for sextortion, which means enjoying sexual favor from someone through different forms of sexuality like homosexuality, bisexuality, consexuality etc.
where is sodom and gomorrah in the bible?
Sodom and Gomorrah story is found in the book of Genesis 19.
what happened to sodom and gomorrah?
The whole city was destroyed by God through the use of burning sulphur and fire, which rained down from heaven.
why did god destroy sodom and gomorrah?
Because of sextortion, which means enjoying sexual favor from someone through different forms of sexuality like homosexuality, bisexuality, consexuality etc.
who is God's friend?
According to the Bible, it was Abraham as revealed by God, himself, in Isaiah 41:8.
who was god's best friend?
That is no other person but Father Abraham.
