Today I am LOVING Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek" again!
Discerning God’s Plan for Your Life
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit…. — 1 Corinthians 2:9,10
From time to time, we all struggle to discern the best
course of action for our lives. Which decision is right? Which is wrong? What
job should we take? What university should we attend? Whom should we marry?
Should we pursue a secular career or go into full-time ministry? These
questions are common to us all and they go on and on and on.
In the Old Testament, knowing the will of God was truly
difficult because the Holy Spirit didn’t reside in people’s hearts; therefore,
they struggled tremendously to discover God’s plan for their lives. In their
efforts to uncover His will, people would seek special signs and divine
signals. They’d even go visit prophets who lived in their region in an attempt
to find answers and gain knowledge. God had prepared so many benefits for His
people! But because the Holy Spirit didn’t live in their hearts at that time,
they struggled with knowing what He wanted them to do and were unable to see
much of what He had provided for them or what His plan was for their lives.
The Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us, and He wants to
tell you and me everything we need to know!
However, the situation couldn’t be more different today. As
believers, we now have the Holy Spirit living inside our hearts — and He has
come to reveal to us all the answers we need! Yet all too often, many
Christians still live like people under the Old Covenant, depending on special
signs, divine signals, or advice from others. Perhaps it is because they never
developed their spiritual sensitivity or learned to recognize the voice of the
Holy Spirit. Regardless, this should not be the case!
In First Corinthians 2:9 and 10, the apostle Paul wrote to
us about the Holy Spirit’s ministry to reveal God’s plan to us. He said, “But
as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit….” Notice he declared that God
has “revealed” His plan to us by His Spirit. The word “revealed” is a
translation of the Greek word apokalupsis, which is a compound of the
words apo and kalupsis. The word apo means away,
and the word kalupsis is the Greek word for a veil, a
curtain, or some type of covering. When compounded, they form the
word apokalupsis, which is normally translated in Scripture as the
word revelation. This new word literally means to remove the
veil or to remove the curtain so you can see what is on the
other side.
This word apokalupsis plainly refers to something
that has been veiled or hidden for a long time and has suddenly become clear
and visible to the mind or eye. It is the image of pulling the curtains out of
the way so you can see what has always been just outside your window. The scene
was always there for you to enjoy, but the curtains have blocked your ability
to see the real picture. As soon as the curtains are drawn apart, you can
suddenly see what has been hidden from your view. In that moment when you see
beyond the curtain for the first time and observe what has been there all along
but not evident to you — that is the picture of what the Bible calls
a “revelation.”
So Paul was proclaiming in this verse that when the Spirit
of God came to dwell within us, one of His major missions was to remove the
veil that once obstructed our view. The Holy Spirit is continually at work in
us to help our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to fully
comprehend the specific, special plans that God has meticulously prepared for
each one of us!
Keep this thought uppermost in your mind and heart in the
days to come: The Holy Spirit — the Great Revealer — lives inside you, and He
wants to reveal to you God’s blessings, promises, provisions, and plans for
your life! Thank God, you’re not living like people did under the Old
Testament. You don’t have to look for special signs, divine signals, or a prophet
to discern God’s plan for your life.
Right inside your heart is the greatest Source of revelation
on planet earth — the Holy Spirit! If you will develop a spiritual
sensitivity and learn to listen to His voice, He will reveal everything God has
prepared for you so you can get on with your life and do exactly what He
intricately planned for you to do!
AMEN! There is absolutely no reason for any born again believer to remain ignorant of God and His Word! I LOVE that first sentence of the last paragrapoh above! The GREATEST SOURCE of revelation LOIVES IN US! Be filled with Holy SPirit, then stay full of God's Word and the GREAT REVELATOR will make certina that we see all things clearly! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":
Shalom in Him!
