“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” |
—1 Corinthians 2:9 |
Sometimes, in the midst of the daily rush of life, we who follow Jesus tend to forget that the life we now live is but a foreshadowing of what’s to come. As important as our current lives may seem—and, after all, they are the only lives we know—this life is but a pathway to the next life, our real life, our eternal life with the triune God and with each other.
In writing to the very troubled church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians gathered in that place using these words, as found in 1 Corinthians 2:9:
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Here, Paul quotes from Isaiah 64:4, one of the Prophet’s long prayers to God, acknowledging His greatness, His power, and His patience with the people of Israel. Peering into the future, Isaiah recognized that there was so much more to come than the people could possibly imagine. Paul echoes that sentiment.
As we begin a new day, it’s important that we acknowledge the fact that this life will someday give way to the next life—a life that is so wonderful we cannot possibly imagine all that God will provide for us. And, the greatest part of it will be our life in God’s holy Presence. We will see Jesus, face to face.
Sandi Patty and Larnelle Harris have captured this time to come, that flows from our present lives, in this spectacular song: