I have something to confess… sometimes I really don’t want to start all over again on Mondays.

After a weekend of preaching a message that has been worked on and developed all previous week, I really wish I could just percolate on it for a few days.

But I can’t. There’s an old saying among preachers, “Sundays a’ coming.”

And so Monday it’s back to the drawing board.

As I sit down to do it all over again, the thought sometimes occurs to me,
“Lord, why does it take so much time and effort to unearth your awesome truths? Can’t you just reveal the final result to me so I don’t have to sweat whether I will actually have worth saying on Sunday morning?”

And lately a few good points have occurred to from one passage in the Proverbs:

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2 NIV

God’s Word requires us to dig deep. Digging IS the GLORY.

1. It’s not just about getting a message for Sunday. It’s about life transformation for me too. I find that as I dig into the Word, the Word of God begins to DIG into ME! My heart is cut, my thoughts are exposed, and I am changed. Awesome.

2. The Word I will preach needs to come from deep within my heart. The only way it gets there is when my heart has been simmering on it for a good amount of time.

3. If God’s word wasn’t deep, it would cease to be His Word. Think about it – it can’t possibly be surface level only. It is NOT People Magazine. It is more intense than a College Course Text. Even Shakespeare cannot hold a candle to this Word. Because it is God’s Word, time is required to unearth it’s rich and deep truths to empower the ultimate life change.

And so every week about this time (Thursday) I’m glad to have started all over again. God has spoken to me. My heart is warmed with His wonderful truth. Sunday’s a’ coming – and I’m wicked excited. (“Wicked” is not bad in New England, it can mean “very” or “really” or “incredibly”).

See you Sunday.