“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, that God has prepared for those who love him”[.]

1 Corinthians 2

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, that God has prepared for those who love him”[.] 1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 2:1-9. Here Paul builds on the discussion in chapter 1 where he contrasted God's wisdom vs worldly wisdom.  From the get-go, Paul shares how he came to Corinth a humble vessel seeking to be used by God to deliver the Good News (gospel). While Paul is known to be a gifted (by God) writer, he claims here to be less gifted in speaking (v1).  He sought to empty himself so that he could be filled with the Holy Spirit and its power.  Like any of us serving God, we seek to bring glory to Him and not to ourselves and we seek to make this abundantly clear (v2-5).  Paul continues by sharing that whatever wisdom is imparted - he attributes it to God alone as He alone reveals His wisdom to us (v6-7).  V8 amplifies v7 by describing how God's wisdom existed and was decreed "before the ages" and that if men in power knew this (which they did not by God's choosing) they "would not have crucified the Lord of glory." V9 gives me hope for the many prayer requests I have - 2 Corinthians 1:20. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Wisdom - Your Word - the Holy Spirit, the church, and my brothers and sisters in Christ for helping me understand Your Word for me.  I am not deserving of the wisdom You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:25

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.  The commentary* provide three (3) divisions for the text:

1. The Word of the Cross Separates the Lost and Saved (1:18): the commentary* describes how Paul "sets the table" in v18 by dividing "all of humanity into two camps: the perishing and the saved." The "word of the cross" is explained as core to the gospel as "unimaginable" according earthly standards of wisdom.  "The perishing simply cannot believe the cross is the way of salvation: that seems absurd."  Of course for believers, the cross is not only understood but it is - as the commentary* describes -    "the cross of Christ is the power of God that saves us in three tenses! It delivered us in the past from the penalty of sin (justification). It delivers us in the present from the power of sin (sanctification). It will deliver us in the future from the presence of sin (glorification). Nothing other than Jesus’s death on the cross could save us."
   
2. The Wisdom of the Cross Highlights the Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom (1:19-21): Here the commentary refers us to Isaiah 55:8 and 29:14 as the basis for v19-21 where God's wisdom is described as superior and contrasted to the inferiority of worldly wisdom that is incapable of matching God's wisdom - worldly wisdom in the face of God's wisdom is rendered as foolishness.  The commentary* shares "[n]o matter how smart you think you are, God says, you are a fool to do life without Christ and his cross." It goes on the share: "[p]eople do not save themselves. God does! Humans are not saved by what they know (by a philosophy) but by the one they believe in (a person brutally executed on a cross for the forgiveness of sins). The message of a crucified Savior strips prideful humans of all their genius and intellectual achievements. It drives us to our knees at the foot of a horrible instrument of execution [(Christ's death on the cross)]."
   
3. The Witness to the Cross Is a Hindrance to Some but the Power of God to Others (1:22-25). Here the commentary describes how the text shows how for some - (a) Paul's intended audience: the Jews and Greeks of the day, (b) those who today seek worldly knowledge above God (as an idol) - the cross and the gospel is not accepted.  At the same, those to whom God reveals Himself see the cross and the gospel as divine and offering salvation. The commentary* shares "the cross God outsmarted the wise and overpowered the strong. God’s seemingly foolish and weak thing is wiser and more powerful than anything mere mortals can come up with."
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who went to the cross to save those whom You love and call - thank You Jesus for making me one of Your elect and for the salvation You provide.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Isaiah 28-29

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, looking at Isaiah 28-29, I move along to Lesson 11, Day 5, which again focuses on Isaiah 29. As I review the symptoms of Israel's heart issues from my post yesterday - spiritual blindness (v29:9-12), cold-hearted worship (v29:13), and a desire for worldly wisdom (v29:14-16) - I am forced to examine how these symptoms manifest themselves in my own life. I am reminded of Psalm 139 where David writes about how God knows everything about us and He asks God to reveal his sin to him. 

Comment and discuss my post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me.  You know everything about me, including my sin, yet You are so patient and full of grace.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me and are full of grace for me.  My sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”[d] But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. v16

Building on chapter 1 (see post yesterday), Paul continues to remind us of the source and purpose of wisdom.  He tells us that he has no wisdom apart from the Holy Spirit in him (v2-5) and that God reveals to believers this wisdom (v9-10, 12, 13).  This is of course very humbling and exciting at the same time - that we don't possess wisdom from and for ourselves but from and for God.  If we consider that God is all knowing isn't it amazing that God would even disclose a sliver of this wisdom to us?

See also posts here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has shown my great wisdom and this has helped me through great difficulties and helped me grow closer to You - thank You Jesus!  I am grateful!  Yet I am humbled and undeserving.  I worry and my sin is great.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

1 Kings 4

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. v29-30

Solomon was not just wise in terms of his ability to synthesize inputs and to solve problems (see the Wise Rulings 1 Kings 3:16-28), but also in his knowledge of worldly matters.

He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.  v32-33

What is interesting here is that Solomon was not born with such wisdom - Solomon ASKED for it (to be equipped as king) and God GAVE it to him.

This is really critical for all of us to understand because all of us struggle from time to time with weighty decisions, and with whether we are equipped to serve in areas where God calls us.

We should understand that if we ask for wisdom and to be equipped He will answer our call.  

There are many examples of how God equips people in the Bible - Moses, Gideon, Jonah, etc. - and how he takes ordinary people who love Him and submit to Him, and He accomplishes amazing and miraculous things through these people.

Praise God!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who is able to accomplish all things - You are all powerful and yet You came to rescue me.  thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses for Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?

Proverbs 17

Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? v16

One of the key themes of Solomon in Proverbs is the importance of wisdom and most importantly wisdom that comes from God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 1 is filled with many wise sayings as received from God.  In 2 Chronicles 1, God grants Solomon whatever he wishes for and God is pleased that Solomon chooses wisdom (as ordained by God) above earthly possessions.  God wants us to love Him first and He promises that for those that hunger and thirst for righteousness they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). 

The subject of wisdom and God as a priority is an important consideration right now as Zach grows into his high school years.  I don't want to fret about his career success but instead want to focus on his relationship with Jesus as I believe his career success - as do all things during our time here - hinge on making God a priority, just as David and Solomon did (at least for part of their lives).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  You are truth, wisdom, and life...and life to the full!  You have blessed me beyond what I deserve...thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessing Jesus.  I am impatient and harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You and have them choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

Proverbs 3

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. v13-14

Wisdom based on God's word through study, prayer, reflection, silence, etc. is indeed profitable. I can say this based on my own life experiencing life change as only Jesus can do.  Jesus, in the Beatitudes, gives us this same promise:


Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Mathew 5:6

We must also remain in Him.  Not only because we can do nothing without Him, but because we hope to avoid getting thrown into the fire.


“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. John 15:5-6

 Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

 

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God full of love, compassion, mercy, patience, etc. I am so deeply thankful that I have a God so great!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worthy of such efforts.  I continue to fall down...in my arrogance, pride, and with my worry.  Please forgive me Jesus - help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin..and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.

Psalm 69

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. v5

God knows everything - He is omniscient.  Knowledge and wisdom comes from the Lord and we are to lean on Him (not ourselves) for our understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.  He reveals deep and hidden things he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:21-22

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:6

 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

My Prayer: Lord, You are an awesome God - all truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding comes from and flows through You.  I know apart from You I can do no good thing.  I know that when I stay near to You and abide in You that You will bless and You have - I am rich as You have blessed me beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus for the many blessings in my life.  Yet I continue to sin as we all do and I am desperate need of cleansing...today and every day.  Forgive me for my lack of grace, impatience, etc. for others.  Forgive me for my pride and arrogance.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Our Fathers Acceptance
Psalms 139

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. v6

Today's devotion encourages me to focus daily on renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2).  God is indeed the source of all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and if we focus on Him and our relationship with Him we can be assured that we are equipped for God's plan for us...indeed as the devotion states we are freed from fear, the need of approval, acceptance, etc....we KNOW God love us and that is sufficient to carry us.  

See also posts here on knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an incredible God You are...You are worthy of ALL of my attention...yet I am easily distracted...and I very often lack grace and patience of others...please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin...help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You Jesus.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise.

1 Corinthians 3

Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. v18

We are told that we cannot serve two masters:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

Although the specific reference in Matthew refers to money, I believe the same can be said of any idol we may have, including worldly knowledge.  We should focus first and foremost on God and knowledge of Him, His Word, His Ways, His Commandments, etc. and intimacy with Him.  We are promised that He will bless us if we do.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God that is the creator and provider of all things (all good and perfect gifts as James says in James 1:17) and You bless me beyond what I deserve. I am selfish, lazy, harsh with my thoughts, words, and actions, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me!  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me understand, be obedient to and apply Your message for me today and every day.