Bible Reading Challenge #4 (Copy)
Today we are continuing our Bible reading challenge and reading through 1 Corinthians. If you are reading these words, I want you to stop just reading and give me all of your focus for just the next few sentences, because I have two challenges for you.
We are 4 days into our Bible reading challenge, and maybe this is the first day you’ve read, or maybe you missed a day. I want to encourage you to not give up on this challenge. Whether you miss a day or a week or a month, it only takes 60 days to form reading God’s Word into a habit that will change your entire life radically for the better. Stick with it!
Share something you learned about God or a way you need to live in response to the text with a Christian brother or sister. Maybe text someone from our church, or use our Men’s/Women’s groupme chats, or even reply to this email!
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
What does this teach me about God?
What I learned about God struck me immediately on my first read through of the passage at the end of verse 4 into verse 5. Here is what I was reminded of…
God is the one who does the work!
Whether that work is saving us, leading us to sanctification (becoming more like Jesus), leading our lost friend/family member to Jesus, freeing us from a sin struggle, insert literally anything here.
This doesn’t mean that we have no responsibility or work to do, like Paul going to Corinth to faithfully share the gospel (sidenote: if we are honest how often do we fail at step one and not even do what God has called us to do). But if we do what God has called us to do, we must not become convinced that we are capable of accomplishing anything good on our own.
We cannot think that if we are eloquent enough someone will be saved, we cannot hope to earn enough money to help everyone who needs help, we can’t pretend that we can love our family well enough to show them a perfect image of how God loves them.
For anything in our life, we must rest in the absolute reality that God is the one accomplishing the good and great things in us, through us, and around us. He is calling us to a simple and full obedience and He desires to use us as a part of doing these good and great things!
How can I live in response to this passage today?
I need to respond with full obedience to God’s call, and go to do whatever He calls me to do (serve, evangelize, pray, read the Word, join or start a Bible study group, etc) with confidence because I know God is able to do all things and He desires to use me for the purpose of seeing His Kingdom grow and His will be done.
