God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). What knowledge is God talking about? God is specifically speaking of the knowledge of His ways and purpose. The amazing news is that God has sent His Spirit to us so that we can live in the fullness of life that comes with the knowledge of His heart.

It is impossible to serve God without first understanding who He is, even as my ministry team members cannot serve me well without first coming to know my heart. As we read God’s Word and spend time in prayer, the Spirit reveals God’s heart to us. This is the empowerment needed to live a joyful life. Nehemiah 8:10 states, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” In other words, when we delight in Him (experience the refreshment of His Spirit) we are given strength for what lies ahead. I don’t know about you, but I never want to live a day without His joy.

The Mysteries of God

From these scriptures in Proverbs and John, we can see that the water springing forth from our hearts contains the mysteries or secret wisdom of God. We also know that God reveals these insights and mysteries by His Spirit. So now let’s take another look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:7: “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.”

The Greek word translated mystery does not mean “mysterious” or “ambiguous.” It actually means “hidden or not fully manifested.”1

Picture it like this: you are at a fancy restaurant. The chef comes to your table to ascertain your culinary preferences. He then customizes a meal to your particular tastes. When the meal is ready, a waiter comes and places your entrée in front of you. Because this is such a nice restaurant, the entrée remains covered until the time of its unveiling. You know what sits before you is your meal, but there is a certain mystery that still surrounds the dish.

When the time is right, the waiter says, “Voila!” and removes the cover from the dish. Now you’re able to see the meal the chef crafted for you. It’s not as if the meal did not exist before the cover was removed; the food was present even before you knew what it was. The waiter revealed the mystery of your dinner. The entrée was always known to the chef, but it was hidden from you until the cover was removed.

By His Spirit, God removes the cover from His hidden plan—His mystery. Through our partnership with the Spirit, we can now…

...speak the wisdom [or counsel] of God in a mystery…that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:7, 12-13)