What God has prepared
“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.”1 Corinthians 2:9
Reflection
We have reached devotional number 200 — and what a fitting verse for this milestone! It speaks precisely of what is yet to come, of the things God has PREPARED that surpass any expectation. Notice the effort Paul makes to describe the greatness of these things: they are so wonderful that "eye hath not seen" (no image captures them), "nor ear heard" (no description reaches them) and "neither have entered into the heart of man" (not even imagination can conceive them). It is the biblical way of saying: what God has prepared is too great to fit in our head.
This speaks both of the eternal future and of the present. In the full sense, it points to heaven, to the glory awaiting us, to the fullness we will only understand when we see it. No description of paradise, however beautiful, comes close to the reality — because the reality exceeds the human capacity to imagine. But the principle also holds for now: God often prepares for His children things they would never have asked for or imagined, because His imagination is infinitely greater than ours. We often limit our expectations to what we can conceive, without realizing that God operates on a level our mind cannot even reach.
Pay attention to whom these things are prepared for: "them that LOVE him". Not the most talented, not the most successful, not those who did the greatest deeds — but those who love God. The qualification to receive the best of God is not performance, it is love; not merit, it is relationship. This places God’s greatest blessings within reach of any person, however simple, because everyone can love Him. The criterion of the Kingdom is not the greatness of your deeds, but the sincerity of your heart.
And there is a hopeful detail in the next verse: "but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit" (v. 10). That is, although these things are beyond our natural capacity to see, hear and imagine, God begins to reveal them to those who love Him, through His Spirit. We have, even now, a "down payment" — glimpses, signs, first-fruits of what is to come. If you look back over these 200 days of walking, perhaps you will recognize some of those glimpses: things God did in your life that you would not have imagined at the beginning. And if that is only the down payment, imagine what is still prepared. God’s best for those who love Him never stayed in the past — it always lies ahead, too great to fit in the imagination. Keep loving Him and walking: what He has prepared is worth every step.
Prayer
Lord, on this milestone of 200 days of walking, I thank You for all You have already done — far beyond what I imagined at the beginning. And I rejoice knowing this is only a down payment: the things You have prepared for those who love You are too great for my eye to see, my ear to hear or my mind to imagine. Help me love You more and trust in what You still have prepared. Amen.
Put it into practice
Look back over these 200 days (or your last year) and list good things God did that you would NOT have imagined at the beginning. Give thanks for each one — and let that feed your hope in what He still has prepared, which is even greater.
To reflect on
Have you limited your expectations to what you can imagine — or trusted that God has prepared, for those who love Him, things too great for your mind to conceive?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).