You know, there are words that we hear that have an ability to stir up all kinds of feelings and emotions... ranging from sheer joy, to sadness... from serenity to anger, and virtually everything in between. Words have an innate power in them to stir our souls.
For example, "fishing" is a word that I can easily associate with the feeling of peaceful enjoyment. "Kickoff" is a word that I can associate with excitement or joyful anticipation. I can relate freedom and fun to the word, "motorcycle". And there are other words that are equally, if not more powerful; like the word "fire", or "emergency", or "abuse". I don't have the time or space to go into some of the word associations that I have... like the word, "politician", for example. Maybe I'll save that one for another time. But at any rate, you're getting my drift; right?
One of those words... the one I want to focus on... is the word "surprise". Now let's be honest here for just a minute. It sort of depends on how it's said, doesn't it? If Lois gets that sort of half smile, raises one eye brow just a little and says, "sur-priiiiiiii-ise", it can mean an entirely different thing that when she raises BOTH eye brows and shouts it out.
The word itself can mean several different things. For example, how many of us have just been going along and like a bolt out of the blue, something comes along that is so unexpected, so far removed from what we're doing, that it can literally cause us to stop, step back, take a deep breath and utter the word, "Wow!" I'm talking about the kind of surprise that once you've taken it in, you just want to call somebody and tell them about it.
Another kind of surprise is one of those things that FINALLY happen. You know the kind I'm talking about. You try and try and try for some result. Or you search and look and rack your brain trying to find something... can't find it... finally give up trying and then two or three days later... BANG... there it is right in front of you. The only word that can accurately describe your feeling when you finally get it, or find it, or discover it... is that you're surprised. If we'd all be totally honest, sometimes it's a surprise when we're surprised... sort of.
There are pleasant surprises and then there are some that really aren't so pleasant. They're still surprises, but not exactly what you had in mind. For the most part, though, surprises are great and we all enjoy them.
I'm going to speak from a purely personal perspective, here. I'm not trying to come across as someone who's discovered some profound revelation... it's just a personal perspective. I believe there is a foundational truth that applies to all of us... not just me... but all of us. God LOVES to surprise us!!! I believe with all my heart that God DELIGHTS in surprising us... all the time... in all kinds of ways.
There have been so many times in my own life, that I've just been going about the business of life, when right out of the blue, through some completely unrelated activity, God will reveal a measure of one of His truths. It's like... you're busy looking in a paper sack for something, and you find a diamond. Its as if you're not really paying attention and then all of a sudden, God SHOUTS SURPRISE!!!
And there are other times that we may be seeking His heart on a matter... and we're seeking after it HARD... but we can't hear. We may be praying, but not getting an answer. We may be diligently seeking His direction in some way, but we're just stuck and can't seem to get a reply. Then about the time we're prone to give up and move on... SURPRISE!!! The answer comes from some unexpected source, in some unexpected fashion. We can't possibly know what all God is doing so that He can give us that answer... and when we finally get it... it surprises us. NOT necessarily that we got it... but maybe HOW we got it, or WHERE we got it from. Nevertheless, God surprises us... and yes... I'm sure He loves it when we're surprised. So we ought not to be surprised when we discover God has surprised us.
Jesus said in Mark 4: 11a "To you (you being us)... To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God..." God knows us well enough to know that He can't possibly reveal ALL these things to us at once... so it comes to us incrementally... little by little... and day by day. And when God REVEALS a spiritual truth, or a kingdom principle to us and it comes to us in some unexpected, amazing fashion... its as if the Holy Spirit shouts, "Surprise". I gotta confess... I love surprises... but I'm in great company... because I'm absolutely sure God loves 'em too... but then, HEY... It's Just A Thought.
Pastor Eddy
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