Heavenly Place || 1 Corinthians 2:9 || Manna for the Mind #12

Welcome to Day 12 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds its understanding through its context and connecting scripture. Doing this helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us. 

1 Corinthians 2:9

9          That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

We can’t imagine what God has in store for us. He knows the path He created for us, but we don’t. We must always follow it and find our back to the path if we stray from it. God’s going to help us along the way. We’ll find his comfort, guidance, and enlightenment through the Holy Spirit. Knowing this should give us hope and courage to get through life, ensure hardship, and avoid giving in to temptation.

We get a glimpse of what this heaven will look like, so let’s start with reading Isaiah 65:17. We’ll talk about 65:18-25, but only refer to them for context.

Isaiah 65:17

17        “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

It’ll be a place of happiness and filled with a source of joy. There will be no more crying. There’s no infant death. There’s no death before a life has been lived. People will be 100 years young. People will live in places they built and eat the food they produce. There’s no crime. Any work that’s done won’t be in vain. People will be blessed for current and future generations. There will be no prey or predators.

What does all this mean? This area is eternal; in them, safety, peace, and plenty will be available to all. The peaceful description of the animals shows us that there is no longer a fear of predators. This passage is about the future reign of Jesus on earth when sin and death are finally destroyed. Eternal life in this place is an excellent reward for all who believe in him.

How does this sound to you? A place of safety, peace, and plenty could solve many of my problems. Safety comforts me that I am not at risk from outside sources hurting me. Suppose I get into a situation or am tempted by a harmful source. In that case, God’s protection will take over and provide a path back to safety. When it comes to this, I’m constantly reminded of what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 91.

Psalm 91:1-2

1          Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2          This I declared about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Psalm 91 shares that God’s protection includes deadly diseases, temptations, spiritual warfare, and more. We know our God is the ultimate healer, able to make the blind see, the deaf hear, and the dead to be alive again. We know our God rescues us from all temptations and doesn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. We know we can wear the Armor of God in our battle against the Satan. This place of safety is one I’m ready to reside in.

How we understand it is different from the peace that comes from Jesus.

John 14:27

27        “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid,

John 16:33

33        I have told you all so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Jesus gifts us with the peace of mind and heart. To have peace of mind means that we’re not meditating on the anxiety, the depression, the panic, the anger, and all the other things that put us in paralysis from accomplishing the goals that God has for us. Having peace of heart means that the worldly troubles we see on social media, in the news, and in our community don’t weigh on us and make us cynical and pessimistic. The world can’t give this to us. It provides band-aids while it makes bullet holes. The peace that Jesus gives allows us to not be troubled or afraid. Troubled by the intrusive thoughts and afraid of the state of the world. Why? Jesus overcame the world. Jesus has victory over anything that we see going on. Jesus knew the world would be full of battles and cause many sorrows, but his peace allowed us to overcome it. We can only do that through him. This place of peace is one I’m ready to reside in.

The place of plenty is unique. It shows that God’s provision is sufficient. We don’t have to strive for the things of the world because what God provides for us and through us is enough to get us through the life he has cultivated. I’m writing this on Christmas, so getting into a very wanting mindset has been easy. Yet, we’ve also been able to get into a giving mindset. For years, I’ve been content with not getting anything for Christmas. There’s not much I need to get through life because God has provided more than enough to set me up for success in the long term. I’ve also been happier with giving to my friends and family. To see their happiness is worth more than anything I could receive. This doesn’t mean that I’m not thankful for what I receive, but to give is better to receive.

A place of safety, peace, and provision is what God provides for us and gets us ready for what our eternal life looks like. Are you ready?

Father God, we thank you for the safety, peace, and provision gifted to us daily. Help us recognize where these gifts come from and how to utilize these gifts for the benefit of your Kingdom and our lives. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.