Bible Reading Challenge #43
From Micaiah Kelly
What do you think of when you hear the word mystery? My first thought is a magnifying glass or an Agatha Christie novel. Maybe you think of something scary—or perhaps a problem to be solved. Maybe, at just the sight of the word, your blood pressure rises and you feel a wave of anxiety. The unknown can be daunting. Thankfully, God has given us tools—and one tool in particular—to help us.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul teaches that as Christians, we must love in all things. In the previous chapter, he had just finished explaining the many gifts that God has given the church and how, in Christ, no one is greater than another. We are called to use our gifts in harmony with those of our brothers and sisters in faith. Now, in chapter 13, Paul reminds us that these gifts—without love—are meaningless.
He writes in verse 8:
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
Why do these things pass away? Paul continues in verses 9–11:
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
When Paul speaks of our limited understanding—“we know in part”—he’s reminding us that mystery is part of faith itself. What need would we have for prophets or teachers if God had already revealed everything to us? We live surrounded by mystery and the unknown, but God has given us faith and hope in the resurrection so that our wandering on this earth is not without direction. And He has given us love so that our journey through this world might carry eternal purpose and meaning. While mystery often makes us uneasy, Paul shows us that love gives us stability within it.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Love is what steadies us when we cannot see the full picture. It calls us to be patient with others, to offer grace freely, and to trust that God is working even in what we don’t understand. When we choose to walk in love each day, we live with purpose—even in the midst of mystery.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are glorious in ways I cannot comprehend. So often, I worry about things that are beyond my control or understanding, and in doing so, I sin against you by turning to earthly things—or even to myself—for help. Thank you, Lord, for your sovereignty, your steadfastness, and your lovingkindness. Help me to trust you more and more, and to come to you first when I am in need. I love you, Lord. Amen.
