“Whatever you imagine as a life perfectly lived, it will always be less than God’s plan for you.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 17, 2024
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, NIV
Have you ever tried to make a plan for your life? Perhaps you sat down and mapped out your goals and desires for the next year, or five years, or ten. Most of the time, we limit our imaginations in these moments to what we perceive to be realistic and achievable. For them to be of any use, these goals should be measurable and within our power to obtain. For example, as someone who has spent their life in ministry and theological study, though it might be interesting, it does me little good to dream about being a brain surgeon in five years, or really at any point in my future for that matter.
Yet there’s something fun about these imaginative explorations, isn’t there? Who would you be and what would you do if you could do anything? Where does your mind go when you let your imagination carry you to its outer limits?
Take a moment and enter into that space. Imagine a life in which your vocation is deeply and profoundly fulfilling, life-giving for you, and life-giving for others as a result of your efforts. A life in which you are loved beyond compare and one in which you are made able to give love and bless those you love through meaningful acts of service and selfless care.
The remarkable truth contained within today’s passage is this: whatever you imagine as a life perfectly lived, it will always be less than God’s plan for you. With Isaiah 64 on his heart and mind, St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 2 that the goodness and mercy of God and his plans for those who love him are greater and more wonderful than any human mind can possibly conceive. It is simply beyond our limits ever to come close to grasping the full extent of his love or the depths of his care.
Whatever you imagine his love to be or however you dream of a life perfectly lived, true life lived in the abiding presence of God is, as we say, beyond our wildest dreams.
Prayer
Father, fill us with hope and wonder at the truth that your love surpasses our wildest dreams, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Rest in the truth of today’s passage, marveling at the mystery and depth of God’s inexhaustible love.
Related Reading
Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 2:4-5; 1 John 4:9-10
Worship Resource
Cory Asbury: Reckless Love
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