“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV)

“I need this thing …”. So begins the customer’s request upon arrival at the hardware store. My husband, the employee, must next discern what is needed. “They don’t always know what it’s called,” he said to me. “They don’t know what’s available; they may not even know what to do with it.” COVID-19 restrictions partly explain this. With extra time, people are launching into the unfamiliar territory of do-it-yourself projects. They don’t have experience, but they try — and they seek help. That’s a good start!

That’s also true spiritually. Our God owns a giant storehouse abundantly stocked with everything that we need for life. We don’t necessarily know what’s available or what specifically to request. Thus, our best starting request may be, “Lord, I need a guided tour!”

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18 NIV) [in other words, “on the shelves of Your vast storehouse”]

Today, I invite you to join me as I walk in my imagination through the aisles of God’s warehouse — with the aid of Scripture, of course. Scripture provides a wide array of picture words to help me to see what God makes available. For example, I see an aisle labelled “Military Gear”, stocked with all that we need for our battle against evil forces. There’s an aisle called “Racing Supplies” with provisions for running the race of faith. I enter a glittering aisle called “Royal Treasures”, replete with great riches for us as children adopted by the King: luxurious garments to replace our sin-stained rags, a crown of glory to cover our shame, and fellowship forever with our Father.

As I stroll along, my path is lit by the lamp of God’s Spirit dispelling the hazy darkness ahead. More and more aisles become visible. I see shelves stocked with provisions for gaining understanding, experience, delight, comfort, and so forth. I see an aisle called “Hall of Mirrors” for helping me see myself more honestly.

I enter an aisle called “God’s Thoughts”. As I linger here, I realize that I need not be restrained by such door-closers as “We just can’t know God’s purposes.” That’s rubbish! Scripture is replete with words about God’s purposes. I realize that we’ll never reach the edge of His infinite storehouse of truth, but we can gain insight:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

Recently, I applied this storehouse imagery to an old list of memory verses. I found myself praying, That’s what I want, Lord. I want that, too, and that … yes, I want Your unfathomable peace … . Oh yes, I want to know more of Your thoughts of me … and I want that for my friend — the experience of Your merciful love.

That’s a small order so far, but enough to remind me that God’s storehouse is never in lockdown. We need not stay on the perimeter, limiting ourselves to hazy praying, like “I need this thing …”.

Prayer: Lord, give us an insatiable yearning for Your two pinnacle provisions: Your Spirit and Your Word, through which we may discover great and unsearchable things never imagined before. Amen.

Diane Eaton
Paisley, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission.