God's Secret Plans For You
Hi, I hope you are doing well. This post might be a bit long, but trust me you won't regret getting to the end of it. Print it out and have it with you when you have some time. The truth from God's Word will change your life, and this post contains some very important Biblical truth.
It would be an understatement to say this has been a difficult few months for my family. While my immediate family is doing well, my extended family has hit really hard times. In fact, it has probably never been so hard in all my life. We all remain focused on God and His grace, but it can be tough to focus on His promises when life's problems stare us in the face.
Personally, things are going well. God has supernaturally brought work to my law practice and we have experienced no lack. Glory to God! But this season has caused me to focus on God like never before. Obviously that's a good thing. While lack is the devil's tool and God never uses the devil's tools, God can turn the devil's tools against him. This is what happens when we draw closer to God during times of struggle. So that's what I've been doing. I'm drawing closer to God as I know He will cause me to triumph over all of this.
For a variety of reasons, I've been focused on hearing direction from God on His plans for my life. I'm sure you would say that I regularly talk about that, and that's true. But I've approached the subject with a renewed vigor. I had a dream from God the other night and I believe the best interpretation is that if I continue practicing law (at least as I do now) I will never be happy and I will never make any real money. This was not the most joy producing Word I've ever received. Nevertheless, I know God. I know He said this to me because He is going to show me what to do so that I can be happy and make real money. It's also no wonder that He told me this in a time of seeking His will for my life. I yearn for God's direct Word to me. Even when it hurts it's like both a refreshing drink and medicine on a wound. I need it.
So in that thought I wanted to share with you the latest fruit from my mediation in 1 Corinthians 2. I personally believe every Christian needs to meditate this passage again and again and again to truly understand its significance. I'm going to put the whole thing for you here. Don't rush, just read it slowly.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:1-16 KJV)
Now let's also refresh our recollection of Ephesians 2:10, certainly one of the most important verses on God's plans for our lives: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)
In the Greek, the word for "before ordained" from Ephesians 2:10 has the same root as the word "prepared" from 1 Corinthians 2:9. 1 Corinthians 2:10 says that God's Spirit reveals to us everything that God has prepared for us, and this includes our good works. God's Spirit will reveal to you the good works God wants you to do, isn't that awesome! I've said before that I believe we have a three-part destiny, who we should be, what we should have, and what we should do. God's Spirit is an essential player in us achieving our destinies, and this is one major reason. We need God's Spirit to show us what to do.
Now how will God's Spirit show you the good works God has prepared for you? He will "reveal" them to you! So let's look at the word "reveal" from 1 Corinthians 2:10. The word is "apokalupto" which in the Greek is the base word for "apokalupsis" which means "revelation." God is going to give you a revelation of the good works He has prepared for you.
So let's look at this word apolkalupto (reveal, revelation) a bit further. This is the same word that Paul uses in Galatians 1 (God revealed His Son in Paul). This is also the same word Paul uses in Ephesians 3:5 (God has revealed the mystery of Christ). This is also the word Jesus uses when speaking to Peter in Mathew 16:17 (God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ). God is going to reveal your good works to you, but this isn't going to be a simple communication to be taken lightly. God is going to give you a Spiritual Revelation of the works He has planned for you. And in my experience, these things don't come after two minutes of prayer. This takes time in His Word and fellowship with His Spirit. We need to press in and hear from God.
Yet there is more to be considered here. What did Paul say is revealed by God's Spirit - "the things which God has prepared for them that love Him." But how else did he refer to these things? He said this was "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom." Paul says here that he is speaking the secret wisdom of God, which was given to him by revelation from God's Spirit. Paul says that (at least part) of God's secret wisdom is the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. Paul then goes on to say that we received the Spirit of God "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." This passage is just too cool!
So God's secret wisdom, which He gives us by revelation, includes all the things He has prepared for us, which are all freely given to us. And one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries is to give us this revelation!
The word for "freely given" is "charizomai" which is a special word which essentially means "given as an act of grace alone." We can't earn anything God gives us. We can't earn anything God has prepared for us. We don't even earn the good works God arranges for us to do. (If this isn't exciting you then you need to spend more time with God!) Now I know what you're thinking, "Byron, that sounds a lot like 2 Timothy 1:9". I totally agree. Let's read that now, "(God) hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." The calling on our lives is a gift of His grace. The works He wants us to do are gifts of His grace. Everything is a gift of His grace, including His Holy Spirit which reveals to us all His other gifts to us. All of our good works are gifts from God. It's time we seek out revelation of them so that we can do them all and live the life God planned for us before the world began.
So God has some secret plans for you. God's Spirit is going to give you revelation of these secret plans. But we aren't done yet. We must grasp 1 Corinthians 2:14 also, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." I'm still meditating this one, but here is something I can tell you; you better have your spiritual thinking cap on when you consider the revelation God gives you of His secret plans for your life. God may show you something that seems 100% incompatible with your current situation. God may show you something that your mind can't fathom as being possible for your life. You need to see this revelation with spiritual eyes.
You must have faith in the revelation God gives you and the power of God to help you get where you want to go. As one of my close friends once told me, "all of Heaven stands behind you when you are walking in the revelation God has given you." I'll be walking in the power of that statement for the rest of my life! You cannot use your natural thinking to appraise Spiritual revelation and direction. You must move in faith. You must believe that God will give you the power and the desire to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
So that's where I am today my friend. God has shown me some works that He has for me to do. They make virtually no sense to my natural mind. I don't believe they are for today, but I know they will come to pass if I continue to walk with God. I'm pressing in constantly now to receive what God has for today. You should do the same. And we must move forward boldly into whatever God reveals to us, knowing that if God is for us then nothing can stand against us.
God has secret plans for your life. These secret plans for you are part of God's secret wisdom. These plans are all gifts of God's grace, given to you before the foundation of the world. God will never revoke them (Romans 11:29). God will reveal all of this to you, but it will only come by revelation from the Holy Spirit. They may appear crazy to your natural mind, but all things are possible with God. Press in today. Draw close to God today. Draw close to His Spirit. God wants to give you His secret wisdom for your life more than you want to receive it. This is one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries, and this revelation is freely available to you if you will seek it.
God revealed to Daniel His secret plans for the Hebrew nation and all of creation. Remember what Daniel said about God, "He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him."(Daniel 2:22 KJV) God will reveal His secret wisdom and plans for your life too.
It would be an understatement to say this has been a difficult few months for my family. While my immediate family is doing well, my extended family has hit really hard times. In fact, it has probably never been so hard in all my life. We all remain focused on God and His grace, but it can be tough to focus on His promises when life's problems stare us in the face.
Personally, things are going well. God has supernaturally brought work to my law practice and we have experienced no lack. Glory to God! But this season has caused me to focus on God like never before. Obviously that's a good thing. While lack is the devil's tool and God never uses the devil's tools, God can turn the devil's tools against him. This is what happens when we draw closer to God during times of struggle. So that's what I've been doing. I'm drawing closer to God as I know He will cause me to triumph over all of this.
For a variety of reasons, I've been focused on hearing direction from God on His plans for my life. I'm sure you would say that I regularly talk about that, and that's true. But I've approached the subject with a renewed vigor. I had a dream from God the other night and I believe the best interpretation is that if I continue practicing law (at least as I do now) I will never be happy and I will never make any real money. This was not the most joy producing Word I've ever received. Nevertheless, I know God. I know He said this to me because He is going to show me what to do so that I can be happy and make real money. It's also no wonder that He told me this in a time of seeking His will for my life. I yearn for God's direct Word to me. Even when it hurts it's like both a refreshing drink and medicine on a wound. I need it.
So in that thought I wanted to share with you the latest fruit from my mediation in 1 Corinthians 2. I personally believe every Christian needs to meditate this passage again and again and again to truly understand its significance. I'm going to put the whole thing for you here. Don't rush, just read it slowly.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:1-16 KJV)
Now let's also refresh our recollection of Ephesians 2:10, certainly one of the most important verses on God's plans for our lives: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)
In the Greek, the word for "before ordained" from Ephesians 2:10 has the same root as the word "prepared" from 1 Corinthians 2:9. 1 Corinthians 2:10 says that God's Spirit reveals to us everything that God has prepared for us, and this includes our good works. God's Spirit will reveal to you the good works God wants you to do, isn't that awesome! I've said before that I believe we have a three-part destiny, who we should be, what we should have, and what we should do. God's Spirit is an essential player in us achieving our destinies, and this is one major reason. We need God's Spirit to show us what to do.
Now how will God's Spirit show you the good works God has prepared for you? He will "reveal" them to you! So let's look at the word "reveal" from 1 Corinthians 2:10. The word is "apokalupto" which in the Greek is the base word for "apokalupsis" which means "revelation." God is going to give you a revelation of the good works He has prepared for you.
So let's look at this word apolkalupto (reveal, revelation) a bit further. This is the same word that Paul uses in Galatians 1 (God revealed His Son in Paul). This is also the same word Paul uses in Ephesians 3:5 (God has revealed the mystery of Christ). This is also the word Jesus uses when speaking to Peter in Mathew 16:17 (God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ). God is going to reveal your good works to you, but this isn't going to be a simple communication to be taken lightly. God is going to give you a Spiritual Revelation of the works He has planned for you. And in my experience, these things don't come after two minutes of prayer. This takes time in His Word and fellowship with His Spirit. We need to press in and hear from God.
Yet there is more to be considered here. What did Paul say is revealed by God's Spirit - "the things which God has prepared for them that love Him." But how else did he refer to these things? He said this was "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom." Paul says here that he is speaking the secret wisdom of God, which was given to him by revelation from God's Spirit. Paul says that (at least part) of God's secret wisdom is the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. Paul then goes on to say that we received the Spirit of God "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." This passage is just too cool!
So God's secret wisdom, which He gives us by revelation, includes all the things He has prepared for us, which are all freely given to us. And one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries is to give us this revelation!
The word for "freely given" is "charizomai" which is a special word which essentially means "given as an act of grace alone." We can't earn anything God gives us. We can't earn anything God has prepared for us. We don't even earn the good works God arranges for us to do. (If this isn't exciting you then you need to spend more time with God!) Now I know what you're thinking, "Byron, that sounds a lot like 2 Timothy 1:9". I totally agree. Let's read that now, "(God) hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." The calling on our lives is a gift of His grace. The works He wants us to do are gifts of His grace. Everything is a gift of His grace, including His Holy Spirit which reveals to us all His other gifts to us. All of our good works are gifts from God. It's time we seek out revelation of them so that we can do them all and live the life God planned for us before the world began.
So God has some secret plans for you. God's Spirit is going to give you revelation of these secret plans. But we aren't done yet. We must grasp 1 Corinthians 2:14 also, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." I'm still meditating this one, but here is something I can tell you; you better have your spiritual thinking cap on when you consider the revelation God gives you of His secret plans for your life. God may show you something that seems 100% incompatible with your current situation. God may show you something that your mind can't fathom as being possible for your life. You need to see this revelation with spiritual eyes.
You must have faith in the revelation God gives you and the power of God to help you get where you want to go. As one of my close friends once told me, "all of Heaven stands behind you when you are walking in the revelation God has given you." I'll be walking in the power of that statement for the rest of my life! You cannot use your natural thinking to appraise Spiritual revelation and direction. You must move in faith. You must believe that God will give you the power and the desire to do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
So that's where I am today my friend. God has shown me some works that He has for me to do. They make virtually no sense to my natural mind. I don't believe they are for today, but I know they will come to pass if I continue to walk with God. I'm pressing in constantly now to receive what God has for today. You should do the same. And we must move forward boldly into whatever God reveals to us, knowing that if God is for us then nothing can stand against us.
God has secret plans for your life. These secret plans for you are part of God's secret wisdom. These plans are all gifts of God's grace, given to you before the foundation of the world. God will never revoke them (Romans 11:29). God will reveal all of this to you, but it will only come by revelation from the Holy Spirit. They may appear crazy to your natural mind, but all things are possible with God. Press in today. Draw close to God today. Draw close to His Spirit. God wants to give you His secret wisdom for your life more than you want to receive it. This is one of the Holy Spirit's chief ministries, and this revelation is freely available to you if you will seek it.
God revealed to Daniel His secret plans for the Hebrew nation and all of creation. Remember what Daniel said about God, "He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him."(Daniel 2:22 KJV) God will reveal His secret wisdom and plans for your life too.
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