How do we get revelation from God? And what does the word revelation really mean? Let’s look at that word. First of all, the word revelation in the Greek means to uncover or to reveal. So how do we get things uncovered that we need to see and perceive? There are a lot of ways that we get revelation.
We can be walking along and we’re looking at the sky and we think about the stars, and suddenly we realize the vastness. We get a sense of the greatness of God. That’s a revelation from the Holy Spirit. Or we pick up a little flower that has these intricate details and we’re wowed by the care of God and the attention to detail that God gives. That’s a revelation.
There are two primary ways of revelation that I want to share or talk about today. The first one is 1 Corinthians 2:9-16. It’s a wonderful scripture. “No eye has seen, nor has an ear heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. But it was to us that God gives revelation of these things by His Spirit, for His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit. And no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit so that we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” So the only person that knows God’s thoughts is God’s Spirit, but God has given us the Spirit so that we can know God’s thoughts. So how do we know God’s thoughts? By building relationship with the Holy Spirit, by becoming close to the Holy Spirit, by getting to know what the Holy Spirit values, what His thoughts are, what He thinks about us and about God.
Before you read the Bible to sit down and look at a scripture or read a chapter, or if you’re doing a daily reading of the Bible, invite the Holy Spirit. He’s the one who can, as you’re reading, have a thought jump out at you or have a picture. It’s the Holy Spirit who reveals the thoughts of God behind the Bible. Invite Him close, and when He comes close, read with an intentional invitation of the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart of God in that scripture.
Another way we can get revelation, this is the second way I want to share with you, is in 1 Corinthians 14:26. Paul was talking to the Corinth Church about the order or the, the Spirit-led church service. And He says this, “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach. Another will tell some special revelation that God has given another will speak in tongues,” and so on. So someone else, another brother or sister in the Lord can get a revelation. And when you realize they are sharing something God revealed to them, pay attention. Because it’s the thoughts of God being shared through another human being. So pay attention to the revelations that others receive because God wants to bring revelation to you through them.
So the Holy Spirit is the One who reveals the wonderful things God has freely given us through our communion with Him and through the revelations of other believers.