Devotion • October 8
Today’s Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 10:1–13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (NRSV)
Reflection
Wow! This is intense. Yes, these words that Paul wrote to the Corinthians must have arisen from some kind of activity in that church community that brought to mind some of the rough history of God’s people. And we do know that the Corinthian church was a maverick bunch, working very hard to find their way through the range of challenges before them.
How does a religious community with the internal pulse of difficulties and the external pulse of many eyes on their witness to others survive? This text takes us to grounding.
What do I mean? So often in our life as Christians and seekers of meaning we think we are going it alone. We forget that there were God-engaged communities before us who lived faithfully and also were deeply challenged by the situations they faced.
Here, the Apostle Paul points the Corinthian community to their history with the ancient people of God. In the wilderness they followed Moses through thick and thin. They ate and drank spiritual food and drink and then they got up and “played.” Yes, Paul is recognizing that the pattern has not shifted.
But Paul also helps this community realize that they can learn from the past. And how might they do this? By realizing that God never gives up on them — God is faithful and will challenge them but will not test them beyond their strength.
This comes back to trust. Yes, our God is trustworthy. Indeed, this faith walk is not easy, mostly because there is so much back noise in our own lives, in our own proclivities, in our own stumbling. But God meets us right there in the most shaken edge of who we are and not only challenges us but accompanies us, guiding us, as God did that ancient people, to promises beyond belief.
Prayer
God, we trust you. Equip us to trust ourselves and our faith community. Give us a spirit where we can be quick to forgive others and especially ourselves. And strengthen us for your wondrous power, this day and always. Amen.
Written by Lucy Forster-Smith, Senior Associate Pastor
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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