“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.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
I have been praying for many months with my dear friends in Prospect, Ohio about the purchase of a house behind their church for ministry. Yesterday they got the call; the house is now theirs! For countless days they’ve daydreamed about hurting people walking through the doors of that little house, walking out transformed by the glorious power of Christ they would discover through the ministry offered within those walls. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). Hope is now realized; the wait was long and trying, but the reward is sweet!
My friends had a specific need, and God knew before the very first day they began to pray about the house that He was going to provide it for them. However, it was His will to guide them through several months of seeking His face before releasing the gift. Surely they have grown in the Lord, and the house is even more treasured by them because they walked this journey. I think I was almost as giddy as my friends about the purchase of the ministry house, but the celebration set my wheels turning; I currently don’t know of a personal specific need I should pray for; I’m praying for daily bread and for the needs of those around me, but unlike my Ohio friends, I’m not sure about what I need for the days ahead. Then the words of 1 Corinthians 2:9 hit me: I don’t know what my future needs are, but God does, and He has already prepared some great surprises for me to be revealed on a future leg of my journey. God is kind beyond measure.
First Corinthians 2:9 is a quote from Isaiah 64:4: For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him. Are you crying out to God for a need? Wait for Him. Don’t know yet what you need? Wait for Him. God will act on your behalf in due time. Great surprises are on the way!
Kimberly Sowell's His Heart Blog 