A Hidden God God is a God who hides Himself. It seems as if God did not see the Roman Empire persecuting the church in the second century. The Roman Empire used every conceivable means to afflict and slaughter Christians, but God did not stretch forth His hand to stop it; rather, He hid Himself. However, a century later the Roman Empire was divided and eventually disappeared. In contrast, the believers of Christ have remained and have spread to various places because of the true and living God. Sometimes it seems as if God is not in our situation, and it seems as if we love and fear Him in vain. But time proves that He is the living God. When it is time, He will make all things manifest. It is not vain to believe in Him, trust in Him, fear Him, or love Him. Even though Joseph feared and trusted in God, he was hated by his brothers, sold in Egypt, and became a servant in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the guard (Gen. 37:2-36). Because Joseph kept himself pure before God and would not sin against God, he was resented by his master’s wife and unjustly put into prison (39:7-20; 40:15). Eventually, God manifested Joseph’s purity, obedience to God, fear of God, and unwillingness to sin against God. King Nebuchadnezzar is a different example. His heart was lifted up, and he conducted himself in pride and conceit. Then one day God came to make all things manifest. Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him; he was driven from among mankind, and his dwelling place was with the beasts of the field; he was made to eat grass like a bull, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven. This was his condition until he came to know that God the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and sets whomever He wills over the earthly kingdoms (Dan. 4:19-37; 5:20-21). God is a God who hides Himself, and He is also the living God. There may be occasions when it seems like He does not exist, but time will prove that He is the living God. Temporary trials are but a process, not the final goal. God will make all things manifest in His time. Whether our situations are difficult or easy, we must always fear God, because He will make all things manifest one day. God is not mocked; hence, we must fear Him. It is a blessing to believe in the living God. He is our life and our all; hence, we have set our hope in Him. He is a God who hides Himself, but He is also a God who makes all things manifest. No wonder the psalmist says, “My soul thirsts for God, / For the living God... / The salvation of my countenance” (Psa. 42:2, 11). The living God is awesome to those who mock Him. There is nothing that He does not search. There are no hidden thoughts, secret intentions, or dark deeds that He will not make manifest. Let me repeat, God is not mocked. Our God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 12:29; 10:31). May we live in Him and let Him live in us. May we also daily learn to trust in Him, wait on Him, love Him, obey His shining, accept His dealing, and walk before Him. Extracted from "The Living God and the God of Resurrection" (6), authored by Witness Lee, originally published in "Ministry of the Word" Chapter 101, November 1959 by Living Stream
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 20:42:01 +0000
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