Concealing and Searching

from Kevin DeYoung’s “Just Do Something”

DeYoung’s guidance adds depth to

Proverbs 25:2 (ESV):

“It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.”

I’ve used this verse over the last 25 years to help me ponder things and I’m realizing now how much I was looking for God’s will and plan a bit to forward while focusing on the mirror.

Though at first it seems to emphasize the mystery of God’s will, it actually reinforces our calling to seek wisdom faithfully.

Here’s how it fits within DeYoung’s framework:

1. God’s Sovereign Mystery and Human Responsibility

DeYoung reminds readers that God’s decretive will, his sovereign plans and purposes, is hidden from us. Proverbs 25:2 affirms that it is God’s glory to conceal what He chooses, because his knowledge and power are beyond human reach. This truth humbles me. Always has. It reminds me that I cannot uncover or control what God is doing.

Yet, the verse continues: “the glory of kings is to search things out.” I’m to pursue wisdom, discernment, and truth within the realm God has made known. DeYoung’s teaching aligns with this perfectly: I do not sit passively waiting for revelation, but actively search out God’s preceptive will through Scripture, prayer, and counsel.

2. Discovery Through Wisdom, Not Divination

I’ve never been a one to necessarily look for ‘signs,’ but studying DeYoung’s work has helped me see the distinction between seeking wisdom and seeking signs. To “search things out” means to study, reflect, inquire, and apply, not to demand supernatural clues. I believe DeYoung would say this “searching” is done by wise, faithful investigation, guided by God’s Word and Spirit.

3. The Balance Between Trust and Curiosity

DeYoung teaches that faith in decision-making requires both trust and initiative. Proverbs 25:2 embodies that balance: God conceals, we seek. God’s sovereignty doesn’t paralyze us, it gives me confidence that my searching, done in humility and reverence, is part of his divine design.

To put this all together, I’m thinking of it this way:

• God’s concealment calls for humility.

• My searching calls for diligence.

• Wisdom bridges the two.

So, having said all that, I’ll be pondering……

How might I honor God’s sovereignty by trusting what he conceals while still searching faithfully for the wisdom he reveals?

To that end……

We’re in the home stretch of 2025 and if you’re like me, you’re starting to look into next year, but have a little tug to look back. And you should.

Stay tuned on for some guidance on that, and I don’t think it was a coincidence that DeYoung’s book came up a few weeks ago in a conversation with my pastor, Brian Henson.

Thanks Brian.

Blessings everyone,

Danny