“WHAT NO … HEART OF MAN IMAGINED” Thoughts from today’s Bible readings – Feb. 20th
D.Caudery Today we started reading Paul’s letters to the Corinthians – he tells them “among the mature we do impart wisdom” [2 v.6] What a challenging statement that is! How many/few are prepared to admit, even to themselves, that they are immature!? The only example Paul gives of such are “the rulers” who “crucified the Lord of glory.”
[v.8]
The worlds’ perceptions, then and now, are “blindness and confusion of mind” [Deut. 28 v.28] This initially was a prophecy about the Jews and was fulfilled, in the ultimate, when they crucified their Saviour.
After making this observation Paul then says, “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages …”
[v.7]
Paul is referring to God’s purpose in creation and then sought to give to his emerging nation in the wilderness as we are presently reading – but their lack of genuine godliness delayed its’ implementation. And has not the ‘church’ – over the centuries – done the same!?
Back to Paul’s writing, can the “heart of man imagine…” [1 Cor. 2 v.9] in any real sense what God must be? Indeed, imagine this in any degree at all!? Paul in his mature years in his final letter declared that God ‘saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began …” [2 Tim. 1 v.9] This was God’s purpose in creation!
Meditate on the wonder of the fact that what the “heart of man” cannot imagine, is about to unfold before an utterly astonished world! And, dare we claim, we will not also be astonished!
We must fully meditate on what Paul told the Corinthians, “… it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”
[v.9]
Let us make sure that we “love him” – with a genuine Christ-like love! David, the man after God’s own heart, could declare of God, as we read last month, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you …” [31 v.19]
Is the time to truly “take refuge” just about upon us! As this time unfolds, let us be inspired by imagining what is “stored up” for us, so let us continue to be fully faithful and “love him” to the end!?
Every day we show our love to God by our thoughts and actions! We show whether we are “rich” in the right way! Remember what James wrote! ” Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” [2 v.5] Let us be ever richer in our faith – day by day – through our ‘feeding’ on God’s word, receiving more and more of that “hidden wisdom” and showing our “love” in all our actions – and so be “heirs of the kingdom” receiving “what no … heart of man (can) imagine”.
