Why God Doesn’t Reveal Everything At Once

About this sermon

Is denial always a bad thing? In this reflection on Psalm 39, John Ortberg explores one of the Bible's strangest prayers: "Look away from me." Why would anyone pray that? Drawing on insights from Dallas Willard, Søren Kierkegaard, and Greg Ten Elshof, John explains the surprising difference between healthy denial and unhealthy denial, and why God often reveals truth gradually rather than all at once. This episode explores: - Psalm 39 and radical honesty - Why Job, Peter, and Jonah wanted distance from God - Healthy vs. unhealthy denial - Self-deception and procrastination - Why Jesus said, "You cannot bear it now" - The grace of gradual transformation Scriptures: - Psalm 39 - Job 7 - Luke 5 - Jonah 1 - John 16 #psalm39 #JohnOrtberg #DallasWillard #SelfDeception #Prayer #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #BibleStudy #Truth #Healing 📚 Today's Resources: Gregg A. Ten Elshof, I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart 🙌 New episodes every weekday. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share to help others grow spiritually. One day at a time. Become New is here to help you grow spiritually one day at a time. TEXT us at 51504 EMAIL US at connect@becomenew.com GET OUR WEEKDAY EMAILS WITH EXTRA GOODIES at becomenew.com/subscribe GET A TEXT REMINDER FOR NEW VIDEOS: text NEW to 51504 SEND US PRAYER REQUESTS: via text or email; we'll send you a written prayer from our team DOWNLOAD FREE STUDY GUIDES: BecomeNew.com/study-guides 😊 Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CnqywVp9s/ 🤳Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/become.new/ Music Credits: Vikersund by RØRE - MB01V0UASAACPKE Alta by RØRE - MB01IWZVJASGKHF 00:00 One of the Strangest Prayers in the Bible 00:33 Why We Need Denial 00:59 Psalm 39 Begins 01:22 Silence Isn't the Goal 02:12 "Look Away From Me" 02:51 Job's Similar Prayer 03:40 Peter & Jonah Run From God 04:29 How Self-Deception Works 05:08 "I'll Deal With It Later" 05:35 Kierkegaard on Denial 06:13 "You Cannot Bear It Now" 06:58 Dallas Willard on Healthy Denial 08:05 "You Can't Handle the Truth" 08:50 Healthy vs. Unhealthy Denial 10:30 Are You Ready to See? 11:16 God Reveals Truth With Love 11:57 Denial Is an Emergency Brake