"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 2:11

 Those of us who have received the Spirit of God actually tap into the Mind of God by which we receive previously unknown revelation. The Holy Spirit in our text here is manifested as the Mind of God which reveals His very thoughts to us and gives us understanding far beyond the capacity of our human mind.

Verse 9 is often quoted to make a point that we cannot know many of the things God has in store for us, -"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him." But Paul is quoting an Old Testament passage here to show how different things are under the dispensation of the Spirit.

Under the dispensation of the Law we could not know these things, but under the dispensation of the Spirit they are revealed to us. The next verse explains this, -"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God."

 Having said this, and having received this truth - this does not mean that we will always know and understand what God is doing in our life at the moment. David was a man filled with the Spirit, yet in his Psalms he often cried out to God for answers for what was happening in his life.

When Paul embarked on his missionary journeys he sometimes did not understand why God allowed the trials and problems he encountered. While preaching the Gospel in Philippi he was arrested, beaten with rods and thrown in jail. God had sent him forth by sea and yet he was shipwrecked three times and once spent 24 hours in the deep.

He had to change his plans many times and suffered hunger, thirst, exposure to cold temperatures and had many sleepless nights. In his own words he said that he had been beaten more times than he could count - yet his faith never wavered. Paul trusted that everything which he endured was necessary for the cause of Christ and for his future glory, -"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." (2 Cor.4)

 Arthur Blessitt, who is known as the man who carried a large wooded cross all around the world has many testimonies of how God worked during his mission. Times when he was protected from harm, times when God provided a need, and times when he encountered trials which later proved to be blessings.

 He happened to be carrying his cross through Montreal when the Canadiens had just won the Stanley Cup Championship. The streets were full and Arthur was standing on a little platform preaching the love of Christ but no one was paying him any attention amid the wild celebration.

 He had parked his van miles away and planned to take a taxi to it but he needed a place to store his cross until morning. He stopped at a large Church but they would not allow him to keep it there, so he began carrying it down the street.

A visiting African man recognized him and stopped to pray a blessing. Then a little later a midget woman stopped him to pray a blessing. As she prayed Arthur heard God say, -"Give her all your money."

A little later a 15 yr old atheist girl offered the home of her family for the night. The next morning he was awakened by her smiling face. During the night she had been drawn to the cross and decided to sleep under it. In the night this atheist was convicted by the Spirit and received salvation. How mysterious and wonderful are His ways?