Eye Hath Not Seen, Nor Ear Heard

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Those who truly love God will desire so to improve the talents that He has given them, that they may be a blessing to others. And by and by the gates of heaven will be thrown wide open to admit them, and from the lips of the King of Glory the benediction will fall upon their ear like richest music, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Thus the redeemed will be welcomed to the mansions that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, but those who through divine aid have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection, has been removed by the blood of Christ; and the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun in its meridian splendor, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and privileges of the angels.
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” In view of the glorious inheritance which may be his, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). He may be poor; yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul, redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth.
To dwell forever in this home of the blest, to bear in soul, body, and spirit, not the dark traces of sin and curse, but the perfect likeness of our Creator, and through ceaseless ages to advance in wisdom, in knowledge, and in holiness, ever exploring new fields of thought, ever finding new wonders and new glories, ever increasing in capacity to know and to enjoy and to love, and knowing that there is still beyond us joy and love and wisdom infinite—such is the object to which the Christian’s hope is pointing.
Maranatha p. 324
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Prayer Requests
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Dear Friends,
Often in the evenings, we used to spend time together as a family just talking with each other. We talk of many things and remember places we’ve been and events that have happened in our lives. It was a fun time of togetherness.
One time, as we were reminiscing, Eileen joked that she was going to get some Kudzu for a houseplant. (We had been talking about when we used to live in the Southeast.) This comment brought protests from Ron and a comment from me about how it grows so fast that we would wake up in the morning and be trapped in our beds by that vine that covers everything in large areas of the South. We had a good time laughing at the thought. The conversation continued to get funnier as each made their contribution to the scenario.
As we were talking, I began to think how much like sin Kudzu is. It is a pretty vine with fragrant purple flowers, but it quickly takes over an area covering everything and choking out the other plants. So it is with sin. One little sin cherished in our lives can take root and grow much larger than we could ever anticipate and choke out our spiritual lives. One little sin stubbornly held onto can separate us from our only Helper. “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.” Isa 59:1,2
What pain it brings to His great heart of love as He sees the sins grow in our lives and we will not allow Him to take them away. He pleads with us, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die” Eze 33:11
Let us allow Him to dig out the roots of the Kudzu vines of sin that bind us, so that we may be set free. Let us allow Him to untangle us from those cords that have bound us for so long. Let us let go of our cherished sins and cling to our Great Redeemer Who loves us so.
Rose