Dive into the depths of God

1 Corinthians 2 The Message (MSG)

You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.

I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven’t a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn’t have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That’s why we have this Scripture text:

No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.

But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.

When I’m overwhelmed by my circumstances

I look to you for help

Dive into the depths of God

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When I have big life decisions to make

I look to you for guidance

Dive into the depths of God

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When my pockets are empty

I look to you for provision

Dive into the depths of God

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When I’m desperate to see healing

I look to you for breakthrough

Dive into the depths of God

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When I have doubts and questions

I look to you for answers

Dive into the depths of God

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When I’m bent on getting my own way

I look to you for justification

Dive into the depths of God.

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

When life is too busy to pursue my dreams

I look to you for reassurance

Dive into the depths of God.

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

Spirit can be known only by spirit

God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion

We have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing

Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit?

Anyone who knows what He is doing?

Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit

Dive into the depths of God.

Allow the Spirit to bring out what God has planned all along

Amen