| When I was in Russia, my husband, Ken, purchased one of those wooden, hand-painted peasant dolls that twist open at the middle to reveal another doll inside. You take the smaller doll out, open it, and another, even smaller one is inside. Open that one and you discover a tinier doll! The fun is in discovering all that’s hidden inside each doll.
To me, it was an excellent picture of being hidden with Christ in God. We are in him and he is hidden in the Father. The fun is in discovering all that this means. As the passage says, we have died and our true life lies in the other world, the spiritual world. The perfection of all that we shall one day be is reserved for us in heaven. It is hidden with Christ—not only from us (like a secret) but for us (like a safety deposit box). At the present time even Christ is hidden—but we take comfort that even though we cannot see him, our life is hidden in him and laid up safely with him. In the same way, we can rest, knowing that although our ultimate happiness is presently out of sight, it is nevertheless reserved in heaven for us.
What a picture of safety and protection. Nothing can touch us, nothing can harm us, for we are hidden in Christ and he is hidden in the Father. And one day, when Christ is revealed, when he appears, who we are—our true identity—will no longer be concealed.
As we follow the advice of Colossians 3:2 and set our minds on things above, we enjoy discovering “what’s inside.” Today ponder what you might be like, sound like, act like when you appear with Christ in glory. As you muse on things above, what is hidden becomes clear.
Lord, I want to understand this mystery, so I set my heart and mind on things above, where you are seated at the right hand of the Father. One day I will be the person you’ve intended me to be all along. Thank you for hiding me in your heart. |
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