Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Job 28-29; 1 Cor. 10
Devotional Thought:
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is speaking against idolatry! He warns how easily idolatry can come into a person’s life, and how damaging it is to his spiritual walk. The first part of the chapter Paul illustrates to the Corinthian church how quickly Israel allowed different forms of idolatry to take root in their lives and the terrible consequences that it brought. Paul makes it clear that these are written to be examples to us. He concludes the chapter by stating that God is a jealous God who shares his glory with nobody. Can I ask you a question? Do you need to learn everything the hard way? Job 28:28 says, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Paul tells the Corinthian church, don’t learn this the hard way! “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (vs. 11) Paul then gives two points of advice. (1) Don’t trust your flesh. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (vs. 12) Many times we look around like a pious judge at those who make dumb decisions and think, “I would never do such a dumb thing.” Really? You wouldn’t? That is what the Corinthian church was saying and Paul told them to beware. This is good advising for us as well. (2) Trust in the Lord! Right after telling us to not trust our flesh Paul reminds us that God will help us to deal with the temptation to our flesh. Even though our flesh is capable of any sin, we have an avenue of victory right at our fingertips. It is God’s faithfulness that makes a way for us to escape every temptation. (vs. 13) That means our ability to resist temptation is not dependent upon our faithfulness, but rather on God’s faithfulness. So no more excuses…we can be victorious over temptation! Our problem, therefore, does not rest in our ability to resist, but rather our willingness to resist. Humanism is idolatry and it is the number one temptation of the human heart, but God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able! What a mighty, gracious, benevolent God we serve! Remember that temptation is common, conquerable, and constant, and our God’s faithfulness in the moment of temptation is present, powerful, and permanent! Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can stand in your flesh, but make no mistake about it, we can stand in the strength of the Lord!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to have no confidence in my flesh. Help me to always be honest with its depravity and selfish tendencies. Remind me of the consequences of Israel when they yielded to their flesh.
• Lord, thank you for loving me so much that you would use your faithfulness as the means of providing a way of victory over my flesh. I echo the joy of Jeremiah’s heart, “thy mercies are new every morning, Great is Thy Faithfulness!”
• Lord, please help me to never be a pious judge. By myself, I will self-destruct every time, but with your help I can be what you want me to be for your glory!