“…Pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which sees in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6
Dear Ones:
It was Jesus’ address to Philip, which reveals to us how little we know God, specifically our Father. When Philip asked Jesus, “…Show us the Father,” (Jn. 14:8) he did not realize that the revelation of the Father was right in front of his eyes. Jesus would ask Philip: “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father.” (v.9) What is the point of Jesus’ words? It is to reveal, not only how little we know the Lord Jesus, but also, how very little we know the Father. The second point of this encounter is to reveal to Philip, and to us, that it is in knowing Christ that we will truly come to know the Father. As the Lord Jesus is our pattern, and “way,” in all things, so He graciously takes us by the hand, to lead us into a greater knowledge of God our Father. The Father was to Jesus everything, and the relationship that He had with Him was of a profoundness, genuine sincerity, and love, that only a cross could declare its depths, and the resurrection, its power. How then can we know the Father, following in the steps of Christ?
The first thing we must grasp is that our Father is the Father of all who would believe in Him. His uniqueness, with regard to His greatness, power, authority and love, is proclaimed in the phrase: “…who IS in heaven.” This Father is like no other, not only by His elevated position as sitting upon the throne of heaven, but by His holy, singularly perfect and good nature. How then, if God our Father is so very great, the Almighty, can He be known?
The second thing we need to see, in order to know Him, is that Scripture not only implies that a personal, very real relationship and communion can be known with the Father, but it actually affirms the truth of it. If there would be a knowledge of Him, then there must be a coming to Him in faith. The author of the book of Hebrews wrote: “…but he that comes to God, must BELIEVE that He IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (11:6) What does it mean to come to God? It means first and foremost, that one comes in faith, and alone. When God called Moses to come up on Mt. Sinai to receive the ten commandments, He called him to be alone. When Jesus would seek, in the midst of His extensive ministry, the renewed and refreshing fellowship with His Father, He found it by coming aside, being alone with Him. The fact that Christ tasted death for EVERY man should awaken us to the fact that the Father gave His Son to save us all, individually. Out of that salvation is a call to individual fellowship and communion with the Father.
The third thing we need to realize, and grasp, is that when we seek the Father, come aside to be alone with Him, He sees and knows us, and will reward that seeking heart, in a very real and tangible way. Scripture tells us that He will reward, “openly.” In other words, there will be tangible results of such fellowship in the life of the believer, as he goes out into the day. That which is learned, and revealed to him, in the secret of the Lord’s presence, will be revealed openly in the believer’s life. It is in coming to the Father, who “…knows what things we have need of before we ask Him,” (v.8) that we are free to look up, and in the pages of Scripture, to see Him who has loved us, and loves us still.
Dear Father, open our eyes and hearts to know Thee. Teach us how to meet Thee, and be met by Thee, in the secret place of Your presence. Give us grace to live in the refreshing reality of fellowship with Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad