“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.’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)

 

The difference between the way God understands the future and the way we understand the future is much like the difference between an artist’s understanding of a blank canvas and our understanding of a blank canvas. The artist looks at the canvas, takes out a pencil, draws a couple of broad strokes, and then looks at it again.

We walk up and ask, “What is that?” When the artist tells us, we say, “Well, it doesn’t look like that to us.”

But the artist confidently remarks, “It’s coming along. It’s a work in progress. I have a vision, a plan.” The artist is thinking about the end result, even though he’s drawn only a couple of seemingly meaningless strokes.

Often, we look at our unfinished lives in the same way we might look at that canvas. Things may not be going as expected. Life may not be progressing according to our schedule. So we say, “The Lord must have forgotten about me. The Lord has abandoned me. It’s over.”

But we’re not forgotten or abandoned. And it’s not over. The Lord has a vision for your life. He has a plan. You’re a work in progress. You’re under construction. God isn’t finished with you yet.

We see merely the beginning. God sees the end from the beginning. We see a blank canvas. God sees a masterpiece in progress. Take heart.

The apostle Paul was quoting Isaiah 64:4 when he wrote, “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’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT). We don’t have the tools to see in ourselves what God sees in us. So we must put our faith in Him.

That’s what Paul was doing when he wrote in Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT).

We look at the broad strokes of God’s work in our lives and see only randomness. We can’t fathom how they might be connected or built on to create something more substantial. We convince ourselves that there’s no way a work of art, let alone a masterpiece, can come from them.

But look at Paul’s words in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (nlt). You may not see how everything in your life can work together for good, but God does.

So the wisest course of action is to follow the advice of Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding” (NLT).

Don’t fret if you can’t make sense of the work in progress in your life. Trust the Artist.

Reflection Question: What evidence do you see of God’s work in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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