1 Corinthians 2:9-11
“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man. The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
INSIGHT
-The things of God are mighty and unsearchable and can only be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. These things include His grace which is sufficient for us from the beginning of this year to the end. Since from His very nature of love, God has prepared great things for us for the glory of His name. God has good plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. Mental perceptions however keen are not enough to fathom eternal realities of God, the things He has in store for us now and in the future. They are great and deep beyond natural man’s comprehension who often times regards them as foolishness, but they are given to the spiritual man by the Spirit of God. The spiritual man judges all things yet he himself is rightly judged by no one; for the Spirit of the Lord dwells in Him (1 Cor 2:15). The Holy Spirit reveals deep things in our spirits and calls us to love Him and hold fast our hope in His promises.
PRAYER
You have done marvelous things in our lives Lord, we cannot tell it all. Thank You Lord for all You have done unto us from last year up to now and for enabling us to see this new year in good health. It is not by our power nor might but by Your Spirit Lord. Comfort all those who are suffering and heal those who are sick among us merciful Father. Be with all our children who are going back to school we humbly ask You Lord and guide them in their studies. You are our Strength and our Shield mighty Father and protect us from all forms of attacks in our nation and all over the world. You have made known Your salvation and revealed Your righteousness to all nations Lord, we give You all the glory and praise. May Your gift of salvation reach all those who don’t know You among us, for You are full of mercy and love. As we begin the year Lord; may You shepherd us in Your wisdom, care, love, mercy and grace so that we may always obtain favor before You and among men. Fill us with Your love gracious Father and reveal Your great and unsearchable things in our lives. Thank You God for You have good plans for us this whole year, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future, we give You all the glory and praise. Amen
Mark 8:33
“But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus bluntly rebukes Peter telling him, “You are setting your mind not on things of God but on things of men.” There are two contexts for this rebuke: one is the particular circumstance in which Peter himself rebukes Jesus for revealing his passion; and the other is the general human reality in which people struggle to understand the division of human things and divine things. Peter was not looking at the Messiah from God’s point of view as much as he discerned correctly that Jesus was the Messiah, but was probably thinking of Him as a political leader who would deliver the Jews from Roman subjugation. For Peter, it was inconceivable that the Messiah should suffer even though the Old Testament said He would. Whatever things Peter’s mind conjured, it probably did not involve denying himself and taking up his cross to follow Jesus or losing his life for the Gospel. He could not fathom the realities of God’s salvation plan to save mankind from sin causing eternal condemnation. Jesus offers us the things of God, the things in which we save our lives by losing them and build a kingdom whose divine power is evident. God tells us to put to death whatever belongs to the earthly nature including; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry for His wrath is coming because of these things (Col 3:2-6). God’s thoughts are higher that our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. We are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness this whole year and all other things He will add unto us. Sometime we forget to look at the things of God but seek after the things of men. The word of enlightens us of the formula that if we set our minds on the things above, He will accomplish our hearts desires according to His divine will.
PRAYER
We wait on You Lord in our going our and our coming in; guide us in all things we humbly ask You. Create in us clean hearts Oh Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Forgive us all our sins Jesus and cover us with Your precious blood. Go before us Lord and make all the crooked paths straight for You are our Savior and Lord. We declare that no evil plans fashioned against us shall prosper in Your name Jesus. Take control of our lives, plans, hearts desires, homes, families, finances, businesses, careers, marriages, relationships, leadership, nation and the entire world for You have obtained victory for us in all things. By Your mercy we have obtained mercy Jesus, by Your love we have obtained love merciful Father, by Your peace we have obtained peace Lord, all the glory and praise belongs to You. This year we will not struggle with health, finances, morality, relationships, governance, corruption, war and other challenges because You have provided a way for us in the waters so that we may cross over and be at rest like the Israelites did. Nothing is too hard for You Lord, make a way for us where there seems to be no way. Help us Holy Spirit to focus on the things above which are everlasting and not rely on the things of men which are fleeting. All glory, honor, power, praise and salvation belong to You Lord, now and forever. Amen
Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
INSIGHT
-Our God is all knowing and the secret things belong to Him. Although God has given us His truth through His Word and the Holy Spirit reveals them into our hearts, He has kept some secrets to Himself; like the day of Christ’s second coming. God’s revelations to us are eternal, transcending from one generation to the next; forever. During these last days in which we live in, God has poured out His Spirit on all people, where our sons and daughters prophesy, young men see visions and old men dream dreams (Acts 2:17-18). God’s secrets remain a mystery to us until they are revealed and we are reminded to call on Him and He will answer us, and tell us great and mighty things which we do not know (Jer 33:3). In His gracious kindness, the Father has revealed His very nature of love to us by sending His Son so that we may abide in Him and share in His love.
PRAYER
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. The LORD is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the universe and all that is in them. Above all powers and dominion You are exulted Lord. You are filled with power and might and Your name is greater than all the other names in heaven and on earth. At Your name Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord to the glory of God the Father. By Your right hand and holy arm we have obtained victory and grace Dear Jesus, open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see You. Reveal Your secret things to us Your children and fill us with Your power and strength Holy Spirit. Protect us from all evil snares and deliver us from harm. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in the hearts and minds of all the people in the world through You Christ Jesus. Amen
Acts 19:6-8
“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all. And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.”
INSIGHT
-Apostle Paul spoke to the people of Ephesus about Jesus Christ and by impartation they received the Holy Spirit; as it happened during the time of Pentecost. Most people in Asia generally; at that time worshiped Diana the goddess and the silversmiths made massive profits from the trade. Paul administered the power of the Holy Spirit upon the people; and when he spoke to them about the things of God, many were convinced. They prophesied and spoke in tongues, and a great multitude was healed. This was in continuity to Jesus’ ministry, which was characterized by great signs and wonders; to demonstrate the power of His kingdom. Jesus gave His apostles and us the Holy Spirit, by Whom we have our being. We are reminded to continue doing the work of ministry, making disciples in all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey Jesus’ teachings (Mat 28:19-20). We are also reminded that the kingdom of God does not only entail eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17).
PRAYER
We give thanks to You Lord for You are good and Your mercies endures forever. Thank You for loving us Jesus and for this far that You have brought us. Remember all those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones that You may grant them rest. Restore unto us and the whole world Your righteousness, peace and joy Father; we humbly implore You. Fill our hearts with Your power Holy Spirit and reveal unto us things of Your Kingdom. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Job 11:7-9
“Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven— what can you do? Deeper than Sheol— what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea.”
INSIGHT
-The deep things of God are mighty and unsearchable. Since no one knows the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, we cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things (Ecc 11:5). These works demonstrate to us the greatness of God though not conclusively. Further, no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him (Mat 11:27). God is our Almighty Father and there is no other like Him. He has shared His nature of love with us and we are called to love Him and our neighbours as ourselves according to His divine purposes.
SUMMARY
The things of God present a deep contrast from the things of men. They demonstrate the difference between godliness and godlessness. When Jesus revealed His passion, death and resurrection to His disciples, Peter took Him aside and began to rebuked Him. Jesus in-turn rebuked him saying “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men” (Mk 8:33). A godly person is thus deeply concerned about the things of God, but a godless person has no concern for the things of God, instead he is preoccupied with this world. Jesus reminds us to focus on things that build up His Kingdom through righteous living and doing good; demonstrating love. Jesus did not leave us orphaned but gave us the Holy Spirit to guide and help us in the things of God. Only the Holy Spirit knows the deep things of God for He searches all things and reveals them to those who are in the spirit, those who love God. Jesus said that, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” As we begin this year and a new decade, God reminds us to keep His word and He will come to us and make His home in us. How comforting is it to know that God is in our hearts? Since nothing is impossible with God then; nothing with be impossible with us and whatever we ask in His name He will give us. God’s deep things include and are not limited to; His goodness, beauty, creation, mercy, grace, love, righteousness, blessings, joy, favor, protection, direction, peace, wisdom, salvation and future glory. As God’s children, we are called to inheritance through Christ and no eye has seen what the Lord has in store for us and our generations.
PRAYER
You are awesome in wonder and kindness, all generations praise You Oh Lord. With Your righteous hand and saving arm You have made us co-heirs with You Jesus, thank You for giving us and our descendants the gift of salvation. Through Your everlasting love we have realized pure and un-compromised faith in You, thank You for loving us Jesus. Grant us the fruit of love Holy Spirit so that we may love You and our neighbours as ourselves. Reveal unto us the gift of wisdom and grant unto us the right resources so that we may undertake all unique and innovative ideas that You have deposited into our hearts throughout this year and the years to come. Establish us in Your faith as we journey in Christianity and not loose sight of You Lord; even when challenges come. Help us Father to focus on the things above which yield everlasting life and not on the things below which are vanishing. Thank You Lord for the far that You brought us, thank You for where we are today and the far that You are taking us with our generations to come. You are same yesterday, today and forever, all glory, honor and praise belong to You Jesus; now and forever. Amen