Still Worldly After All This Time!

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?"


Sweet Lord, I don't know how long Paul had been in Corinth with these believers, but it evidently had to be long enough for the folks there to be farther advanced in their walk with You than they were. You had even given them Pastors to continue teaching after you had left.

When babies start to grow they start to require more solid food. By the time they are a year old they can start eating what I call "people food" in small pieces, and are not able to eat more like an adult until they reach 3-4 years old. Even then they have to have the "meat" cut in small pieces because they don't know to chew food longer yet and can very easily choke.

I imagine this is where the Corinthians should have been at least, if not like adolescents or adults. After I was born spiritually, it took a few years of almost daily reading and studying before I could handle the adult food of Your Word and there are still times when I have to cut it up in small pieces to be able to chew and digest it, and sometimes Your Spirit has to actually dice or grind it for me.

When our children are at certain ages we find ourselves wishing they could stay that age forever. However; that is a very foolish thought and most of us realize it. There is a strange syndrome that causes a newborn not to grow or mature much at all, but they age just the same. Some age very quickly and die after just a few years. These children, in the most severe state, still have to drink from bottles because they cannot eat any solid food and be must be carried around because they cannot crawl or walk.

The Corinthians should have been adult in their spiritual growth, but had reverted to babyhood. As we grow as Christians, we are to become more loving, patient, gracious and united in Your "mind". They are still worldly and show it by their speech and actions one with another. Unfortunately in our churches today, this is still true. We expect the babies in Christ to ask more worldly because they do not know better yet. But when the full fledged "adults" revert to babyhood, it is a very sad and dire circumstance indeed.

Paul does not tickle their ears here, but brings their behavior and sin to light. This church needs revival, and our churches in America need it too. Folks quarrel with each other over silly things and then the church splits. Lord, if we who are Christ Followers have Your mind and the Spirit to lead us and teach us all truth and Your deepest thoughts and mysteries. We should be more united instead of less. If I look in the phone book just of where I live, there are so many different types and kinds of churches with different doctrinal stands. You are not divided. Why should Your Church be divided? The Enemy has been very successful in dividing Your flock. I believe it is because: we don't stay close to our You, our Shepherd, don't really study Your Word on our own nearly enough on a daily basis, care more about ourselves and our agendas instead of Yours. Consequently, we are easily drawn away by false teachers or our own immaturity. Then we wonder why the world is not flocking to our church doors.

Oh, Lord! We need revival, not only in the USA, but also in Europe and around the world where Christians live. Asia, where Paul's churches once were, is mostly Islamic. Lord, we need YOU!

     

    

Infants in Christ

1 Corinthians 2: 1 "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ."

      Lord, having birthed 3 children, I can relate to what Paul is saying here.  Babies need food fit for infants.  He had to address the Corinthians as worldly, not as spiritual at first because they were not able to digest more solid food.   I remember how gentle the lady who discipled me was in helping me to start understanding the basic truths. 
     Lord, I thank You for her gentleness and also for Paul's example in how to disciple newborns in the faith.  Infants need a lot of attention and feeding in between naps while their body digests what they have eaten.  So it is with new believers.  I remember we met everyday for about 30 minutes.  She  gave me just a little more to build onto what she had taught the day before.  Because of that, she was able to start feeding me baby food within about a month and real food within about 4 months.
     

Astounding Amazing Grace!

      Lord,  You keep bringing me back to these verses, so I am going to just camp out here for a bit and let these amazing truths sink in.
1 Corinthians 2: 7,12,16b "  No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. But we have the mind of Christ. "

      I have to admit, Lord, that this is SO HUGE, I am still trying to wrap my mind around it.  All through scripture, we are told to glorify You in all things and all creation glorifies You. Your glory, not ours, is paramount in everything every day, and I can understand that because You are the eternal, almighty, all knowing, totally holy and righteous God, creator of all that is, and sustainer of all things by your word!  I fall so short of that.

      BUT GOD!   You, through Your Holy Spirit share Your secret wisdom with me that You destined for my glory before time began that I may understand what God has freely given me...the mind of Christ!

      I have no reason to wonder what You think in Your deep thoughts because You have shared them with me.   You wrote Your thoughts down in Your Word and then sent the author to live right inside me and every true believer so we can understand the deep things of God that You have FREELY given me!
      I also understand that is not because of anything I have done or anything I am...but because of Christ and His finished work on my behalf that these things are mine.  I know that a home in Heaven is mine with You for all eternity and that is wonderful to know but hard to imagine, even with all you have shared about it as just a glimpse through the window as it were.  But that is future...maybe the very near future for all believers...but future.
      Right now, as I sit here this morning, I have Your deepest wisdom at my disposal through the Spirit!  This knowledge not only blows me away and is comforting, but also is very convicting when I think that I just don't know what to do in any given situation.  I have no excuse for indecision, sin, or false and muddled thinking.
      Lord, we...I am so unworthy in myself of this amazing astounding gift!  Each moment of each and every day, help me to understand more and more.  I know that because I have  finite mind, even though You created it to be amazing...I can only take bits at a time as building blocks to the whole.  Please teach me Your ways and Your thought, O Lord.

But We Have the Mind of Christ

1 Corinthians 16b "But we have the mind of Christ."

Lord, what more can I say than a very humble, Thank YOU!  Help me never to abuse it.   I am awed that You would want to share it with me in the first place.  Now that I have it and the Teacher to help me to understand I have no excuses.   My life must align with it in all ways every day.  I must share You with others, and help to instruct the younger Christian women to realize what You have given them and to guard it in their hearts.

Can I Instruct the Lord in Anything?

1 Corinthians 2:15-16a "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" (Isaiah 40:13)

      Lord, true Christ Followers are not subject to man's judgment? Please guide my thoughts through this.  First You said, "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things,".  I think I understand that the spiritual man can make proper judgments about all things because his judgments actually come from the Spirit, not himself.  If that is what You mean, then  I can understand why he would not be subject to man's judgment.
      However;  most of Your prophets, almost all of the apostles, and myriads of Christ Followers have come under the judgment of man and have been tortured, imprisoned or martyred for their "judgments"  Man's judgment brought on these things, but because they were spiritual and their judgments came from the Spirit, they still live with You totally uncondemned!   Am I right in my thinking, Lord?  If not, please correct me.
      No man that has ever lived, no matter how brilliant or moral, has ever been able to instruct You.  Nothing any human being can think, say, or figure out is new to You.  You are omniscient (all knowing) and eternal.  You have ALL knowledge and have for all eternity past, present, and future all at the same time.  Nothing surprises You.  You guide Your followers into incredible true thought and judgments, but unregenerate man comes up with all kinds of "brilliant" ideas and judgments that come from the pit of hell!  Unregenerate man thinks their ideas are brilliant and believe them because they have not the Spirit to tell them otherwise.
      Lord, thank You for Your Spirit!  I cannot boast in anything in myself.  Every true thought and judgment comes from You!

Conversing With A Corpse?

1 Corinthians 2:14"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
     Dear Lord, I remember a very dear older saint, Mrs Dudley, who taught our ladies Bible study on Tuesday mornings at the Bible Baptist Church of Sodus NY that met in an old mill.  I was a relatively new Christian and I cannot remember what we were studying at the time, but remember asking her why the people I was trying to share Christ with didn't get the simplicity and graveness of the salvation message.
      She asked us all if we had ever been to a funeral where there was an open casket.  I thought that was a weird question given the question I had just posed to her.  She went on to ask if any of us had ever approached the corpse and had tried to have a conversation with them.  To be honest, Lord, I thought the lady had lost it.  Then she asked if we had tried, did the corpse answer us.  By this time I was sure she had lost it because not only was she being ridiculous, but also she was not addressing the question I had asked!
      Then she explained that we cannot expect the unsaved to understand spiritual things because they do not have the Spirit.   We are dead spiritually until God makes us alive.  "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ." Colossians 2:13.  I then thought; WOW!  This lady has not lost anything, but has found a great truth found right here in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
      Lord, when I try to share truths from Your Word with an unbeliever and am misunderstood, ridiculed,or ostracized it is because they CANNOT understand and my sharing is in vain.  I am trying to have a conversation with a spiritual corpse.  This is why I must await the Spirit's leading before I approach someone.  He has to lift the blindness from their eyes, deafness from their ears, and the dullness of their mind before they can even begin to understand spiritual things.
      Thank You, Lord, for having Your Spirit lift those from me 37 years ago so I could truly understand what was being shared with me and for lifting my dullness of understanding Your truths ever since.  I praise You for my salvation!  May I be very sensitive to the Spirit's leading.

Spiritual Truths in Spiritual Words

1 Corinthians 2:12 "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."

      Lord, Paul says here, what we speak expresses spiritual truths in spiritual words as taught by the Holy Spirit. Throughout the ages, those who spoke for You spoke Your words to the world.  People can argue all day with us about what we believe, but they cannot argue with You when You speak the truth through us. I remember when Dr Jerry Falwell was alive, reporters and news show hosts used to try to trap him in his words because he preached the Gospel in all its truth.  They tried to depict him as an arrogant bigot because he preached that there was only one way to heaven and it was through You.  He would never say, "Yes, I say that because I believe it to be true."  He would always say, "I did not say that, the Bible says...", and would quote verses.  The taunts would usually stop there, at least in his presence.
      We can get into disputes with others if the conversation is not Spirit led and we are speaking on our own; but when the Spirit prompts, He gives the words to say and uses us as a vessel for communicating God's wisdom.  So, what You are telling me today is to be ready with Your word hidden in my heart, memorized, so when the Spirit prompts me, He can speak through me to others.  I must not have unconfessed sin in my life which quenches His power within me, and I must not keep silent being afraid of what others may think of me.  It is not about me at all!  It is all about You and Your work in my life and for all mankind.
      Holy Spirit, convict me of my sin immediately so I might confess, repent, and be in fellowship with You so at any time I can be the conduit of Your wisdom to others.

That We May Understand What God Has Freely Given Us

1 Corinthians 2: 11 "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."

      Dearest Lord..."that we may understand"!  You are such a good and gracious God!  You are not a god who is "out there somewhere",  and does not care.  You created everything here on earth for us when You created the world, and created them to be a blessing and joy for us to enjoy.  Sin has done its work with poisonous critters, plants, and insects, scorching heat and subzero cold, and horrible  weather disasters; but for the most part the world is amazing, very beautiful and "what God has freely given us."  That is just the physical element of creation. Thank You, Lord!
      The spiritual element is greater and the unsaved world knows it not.  Your blood bought children understand now about Your grace, mercy, justice, propitiation, atonement,sanctification, justification, prayer, revival, repentance, salvation, and heaven!  We understand now that You control history and set up leaders and take them down.  You have shown us the course of human history will take  revealing what the future holds long before it happens.  We now can understand why purity, holiness, justice, love, grace and mercy are so important for ourselves and in how we treat others.
      Lord, You could have left us in the dark, but You didn't.  You WANT us to understand You and what You have freely given to us.  This fact is amazing and will take my lifetime to fully grasp!  All I can do is to praise and thank You for Your love for me and for saving me, adopting me into Your family by a document written in Your blood.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

The Holy Spirit Knows the Thoughts of God

1 Corinthians 2:11b "In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

      Lord, for years as a child and adolescent, I was in the church but I was not a Christ Follower.  I thought I knew the thoughts of God because of the snippets of Bible stories I had been taught in Sunday School.  Lord, I was so wrong, ignorant, and arrogant.  Not until I trusted in Your completed work for my salvation and Your Holy Spirit came to live within me did I even get a glimpse of Your thoughts and it blew me completely away!  He opened a whole new world to me, and all these years later, I am still trying to wrap my brain around that.  I still don't understand why You did that except the fact that You love me (another amazing miracle), and You want me to know and understand You.  Only because of all of this can the Father look at me and see You.
      Lord, when You left the earth You did not leave us alone, ignorant, and without help and comfort, but sent THE comforter and teacher, Your Holy Spirit.  Thank You, Lord!  Now help me to love others as You love me!

If My Thoughts are Centered On God

1 Corinthians 2:11a "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? "

Dearest Lord!  No one can ever know my deepest thoughts, or any of my thoughts, unless I voice them.  Even then, unfortunately, I can be untruthful as to what they really are.  But, "You have searched me and known me." (Psalm 139:1)  There is nothing hid from You and that is both comforting aand convicting.  I can think a prayer and You hear it, or I can think a sinful thought and You are aware of that as well.  Scripture says that You know what my thoughts will be before I think them!  You are in all time all the time and are omniscient.  If my thoughts are centered on YOU...I will be fine.  If my thoughts wander to looking at others to see if they measure up, or to see what they have that I do not, or look at them in self-righteousness instead of grace and mercy, Lord, You know it and Your Spirit will convict me of those sins, if do not quench Him.
      I have seen a shirt with the sentence on it "Lord, put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth."
I think I need to change that to, "Lord, put Your arm around my shoulder and Your love and grace in my heart and mind!"

Pricker Bushes and God's Fruit

     I love it when God shares object lessons with me.  This past Saturday, I went into the hedgerow beside our house where hundreds of blackberry and raspberry bushes are, to go pick the ripe fruit. 
God taught me two very valuable lessons.
      Lesson one: Do what God prompts me to do WHEN He prompts me to do it as it will be much easier than when I finally get around to it. I really should have gone out in the early spring and cleaned out the weeds and vines around them so I could actually get to them without a lot of stomping, cutting, clipping, tripping, and getting lots of thorns in my skin...some big, some tiny hairs that had to be dug out with a needle.  It is Tuesday and I am still finding the tiny ones.  I know there are thorns and you can't have berry pie without some sacrifice...but this day was worse.
      Lesson two: As I was bandaging my hands after taking out the thorns, I realized that my right hand was beaten up much worse than my left.  I am right handed, so that hand picked the berries, did the cutting, pulling, breaking off while my left hand had  held onto my picking pail or gingerly held a tiny spot on a bush or old berry plant so I could cut it down.  The lesson is that if we are fruit bearers for the Lord, we will be cut, bruised, beaten up, pierced, and bloodied sometimes.  If we are not, we escape most of that, but the fruit we yield will be small. 
      Oh, there is a role of supporters and behind the scenes helpers, I understand that...but to be a fruit bearer is what we are called to be by our precious Lord.

Only God and My Spirit Know My Thoughts

1 Corinthians 2:11a "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?"

      Lord, the only other one who knows my deepest or true thoughts other than me is You.  You know the thoughts and intents of my heart, and You have searched me and known me (Psalm 139:1)  Others see only what I choose to share with them.  I may be frustrated with someone, but show them grace and kindness because You have told me to do so.  They may never know how frustrated I was with them.  I may be impatient or afraid, but show patience and courage on the outside.  At times, Lord, we all wear that mask to protect ourselves or others, or sadly to promote ourselves using flattery.  We are afraid to be real.  But You know what's inside...the evil and the good.
      You, Lord, give us the freedom to be real.  Because You KNOW me, there is no escaping my sin, but also there is a comfort of knowing that You know and understand my deep love for, and trust in, You.  Most of my deepest thoughts are about You as I try to wrap my human brain around You and Your ways.  Just Your love for me and willingness to sacrifice Yourself for me is too high for me to understand.  But Your ways are not man's ways and Your thoughts are not our thoughts.  So, I can accept what I don't understand and walk in trust with You.
      Thank You, Lord!

The Spirit Searches All Things

1 Corinthians 2:10b " The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."

      Lord, is there anything within me that can remain hidden from Your Spirit? He searches ALL things, so I think not.  Nothing is hidden.  He sees the evil and the good and He knows the thoughts and intents of my heart. He sees the same in the  bright noonday or the darkest midnight on a moonless stormy night. He sees and knows it all.
      Lord, this is convicting as He sees all of my sin, but is comforting because He is able to convict me to repent.  He also comforts me in sorrow and restores my soul to service to You.  He knows everything so He can teach me all things about You.  He encourages me when I think and do right.
      He alone has the power to search out the deep things of God.  He could keep all of those things to Himself, but in love and grace He shares them with believers because He wants me to know as I am known.  I could never understand these things without His help and tutelage.
      Thank You, Lord God, Father, for giving Him to us; to live within us as teacher, guide, comforter, and friend!

But God Has Revealed What He Has Prepared for Those Who Love Him

1 Corinthians 2:9-10a "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (Isaiah 64:4) but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

      Sweet Lord, I am so unworthy of this "but God" great gift!  You have given me so many wonderful things:

• To be born in a time after the first Easter
• To be born in a country in a time of relative peace
• To be born in a country that, at the time, revered You and Your Word and knew there was absolute truth
• To be born into a family that went to church all of the time so I could learn about You
• To have someone share the Gospel with me
• To have the Holy Spirit open my eyes to its truth
• To have great churches in which to learn more about You, and to have great preachers both in person and in the media teach me Your truth
• To have several Bibles in different versions in my home that I can pick up and read at any time
• To have a computer and the Internet on which I have access to Your Word in several different translations and a myriad of study tools
• But most of all, You have given me Your Spirit the author and finisher of my faith, living within me to guide me into ALL truth, who reveals to me from Your Word what the future in Glory holds.

      O, My Lord and Savior; my mind cannot attain to it all.  I am very humbled by the fact that You would want me to be with You in Glory for ll eternity!  In me there is still no good thing but You.
My invitation reads:

      "Only because this woman trusted in My perfect and complete work of redemption on her behalf on the cross of crucifixion; and only because I rose from the dead conquering death, hell, and the grave; I have invited her into my Father's house where I have prepared a place for her to live with God in perfect peace, love, and fellowship with me.  She will know me as I have known her and will be allowed to worship God face to face with all others from all time who have trusted me for their salvation.
   This engraved with my blood invitation entitles her to enter my rest for all eternity.
                                                                                                         Jesus"
Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

Our Rulers Just Don't Understand

1 Corinthians 2:8 "None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Lord, as You know, if the rulers of our age understood it, they would not be trying to eradicate Christianity from our world.  Our Founding Fathers, Pilgrims, and many others who settled in America understood.  The Patriarchs of Israel and some of their kings understood it.  There have been flashes of Your light throughout history, and then in one or two generations, we find a generation who doesn't know God.
      Lord, I understand that the crucifixion had to happen at the precise time in history because it was the Father's plan from the beginning.  I also understand that Your enemy, the "Prince and Power of the Air Satan", rules here.  However, when You return, You will rule and Satan will be banished!  Hallelujah AMEN!  Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!
      Until then, may I walk worthy of Your calling in my life and be faithful to You and Your Word.  For You have called me out of darkness into everlasting light.  May my light so shine among men so folks will see You in me and be blessed through me.

God's Secret Wisdom, God Destined for Our Glory

1 Corinthians 2:7  "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began."

      Lord, Your hidden secret wisdom is for our glory?  Now that is very humbling indeed!  Your secret wisdom is the plan of salvation.  Ultimately, it will bring all who truly believe glory in Heaven.
Titus 3:4-5a " But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."
Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Hallelujah what a Savior!  He takes our darkest sins and transforms them for His glory, and ultimatly for ours.

Lord, Speak a Message of Wisdom Among the Mature

1 Corinthians 2: 6 "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing."

      Sweet Lord, today is Sunday and I have the blessing and privilege to go to church and worship with other believers!  Thank You that in our country we can still do this openly.  I know there is coming a day when we might have to worship clandestinely like the believers in China who cannot even sign praises to You out loud, but must do do in their minds.  They must sneak into an underground church over several hours so as not to be found out.  This is coming to fruition here in my beloved America because of the "wisdom" of the rulers of this age.
      Thank You that You raised, and still raise, up men of great biblical wisdom who speak it into our hearts as mature believers.  The wisdom of this age is "I'm OK-you're OK", and no matter what someone believes, that is truth to them. We are told we must be tolerant of their belief for "All roads lead to heaven after all".  One is expected never to be politically incorrect and speak out against somone else's false religion or sin.  If we do, we are labeled a narrow minded bigot.  They can and do speak out against Christianity and are never reprimanded.
      Lord, I am humbled and ever so grateful that You revealed the truth to me 36 years ago!  You are THE way, THE truth, and THE life.  No one comes to the Father but by You!  Because You three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are holy and cannot look upon sin, I had to admit my lost and sinful state, believe with ALL that is within me that You are the ONLY Savior and Lord, and confess that to You and to others.  I could not just add You to the list of other gods I worshipped: self, celebrities, money, security, fame, and recognition.  You are so loving, kind, forgiving, gracious, merciful, patient, holy, good, fair, forgiving, powerful, and generous; why would I want to commit my life and eternity to anyone else?
      Thank You again, Lord for my salvation and all that it has meant to me over the years.  Thank You for all of the pastors and teachers You have provided to teach and grow me into maturity as a Christian.  Of course I have not fully attained, and will not until I see You in Glory, and that is both humbling and exciting.

Our Faith Must Rest on God's Power

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. "

      Lord, Paul does not go into detail here about how the Spirit's power was demonstrated.  I know You gave the apostles the power to do some miracles to authenticate that You had sent them.  Might he be speaking about these?  If not, the transformation he went through would have been enough.
   There are many charlatans in our day who speak with "wise and persuasive words", but theirs are steeped in man's wisdom, not Yours, so their followers faith rests on man's wisdom.  This is so very sad, Lord, and my heart breaks for them.  They are given a counterfeit and believe it to be the real deal.
     I guess these folks are looking for something specific for their lives so the Enemy provides them with what they are selfishly seeking instead of what they really need.  Because the cross is an offense, they do not want to hear that they are less than perfect and a sinner from conception and need a savior.  They want their ears tickled, so if they want riches, they seek out the "Prosperity Gospel".  If they want deliverance from their circumstances, they seek out the "Deliverance Gospel".  If they just want to feel good about themselves, they seek out the "Social Gospel".  The fact is that ALL of these are false gospels and they will be very surprised at the end of their lives to find out they did not seek out the One TRUE Gospel.  The Devil does not care what we believe about You as long as it is not the truth, so he wraps a kernel of truth in lies, just as he has done since Adam and Eve,  to deceive mankind.
   In Paul's day and in ours there was/is a plethora of man's wisdom. In the eternal scheme of things, it comes to naught.  Lord, You created us with great brains so we could think, reason, learn, and create.  When sin entered the world, all of that marvelous gift went awry.  Without You and Your wisdom, we perish!  We need the Spirit's power demonstrated in our lives so that our faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
     Lord, I crave You and Your power in my life!  You were crucified for me saving me from my sin.  Now You are living through and in me and are guiding me by Your grace and mercy.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

Our Weakness and Fear is God's Strength

2 Corinthians 2:3-4 "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling."

      Lord, I have been in the same situation Paul writes about too.  I want desperately to share You with others and then when You give opportunity, depending on the circumstances, I become weak and terrified.   I start thinking; "What if I mess this up?  What if they get really mad at me and want to harm me?  What if I am rejected?"  Considering where Paul was, a Jew in a  Gentile sin ridden city, I can understand his trepidation.
      The transformation You made in him is truly amazing.  He is the same man who was so arrogant in his false belief that he hunted down Christians and had some murdered, but is now weak and scared to the point of trembling and totally dependant on You for the strength and words to say. You are truly the God of transformation!
      Lord, we all need that transformation in our lives, especially those of us who have been Christians for a long time.  I must daily be submitted to You.  I must remember minute by minute  that without You I can do nothing and that it is ONLY by Your grace, mercy, and resurrection power that I live, breathe, think, and speak. In myself there is still no good thing!  If I do not acknowledge these things, I can become puffed up in my knowledge of You but totally ineffective for You!  Lord, I know sometimes it will be painful to my pride, but please keep me humble!  I want the strength I have to be Yours not mine

Humility Not Educated Arrogance

1 Corinthians 2:1-3 "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. "

My Sweet Lord and Savior, Paul show such humility here.  Of all of the apostles, he was by far the most learned, but came to these folks in Corinth with only the salvation message: the message of You and Your work on their behalf when You were crucified.  He did not present himself as a religious know-it-all as he might have done before his own salvation because he was a Pharisee among the Pharisees by his own admission.  It looks like he never told them of his former background but only about his conversion.
      Isn't that what folks in our day want to hear too, at least at first?  Unbelievers really don't want to know how many Bible studies I have done or how many times I have read through it or how many years I taught in the church.  They want to know what I was before You entered my life, the changes You made in me, and how they can have what I have.
   Thank You, Lord, for Paul's example but most of all, thank You for the work You did for ME that day on the cross!  Help me to share that with others.

Boast Only in the Lord

1 Corinthians 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

      Sweet Lord, my only boast is in You!  All I am, all of my talents, gifts, strength to do what You have me to do comes from You.  If I sing, You gave me the voice.  If I paint, You gave me the eyes, hands, perspective, and the joy of seeing color and shape.  If I love and serve with joy, it is because You have changed my heart to love others unconditionally and them more than myself.  You have shown me that service to others is service to You.  Even the strength to mow my front and back lawn in one day comes from You, so how can I boast in anything?
      As I am doing a concentrated study in 1 Corinthians 13, the "Love Chapter": for the month of May You concentrated on helping refine "Love is patient and kind" by having me do that study during LU's deadline and our office moves.  Now for the month of June, You are having me do "Love does not envy and does not boast".  I must confess that there have been a couple of times this month already when I envied other employees that have a more quiet secuded place to work.  Lord, forgive me!  You have given me a job and wonderful folks to work with that now because of the close quarters, we are getting to know each other far deeper than we would have.  Then today You address boasting.  Lord, You do have a loving sence of humor.  Thanks for Your lovingkindness and gentleness with me.
      Lord, You are so wise, strong, good, loving, fair, righteous, pure, holy, amazing and wonderful that every day I wonder how You could love me the way You do.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that without Your saving grace in my life, I would be worthless and doomed forever.  Thank You seems like such a weak expression of the gratitude I feel.  I love and worship You, Lord!

Because of Him

1 Corinthians 1:30 "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. "

      Good Morning, Lord.  Thank You that I can have God's wisdom.  Our world views wisdom as knowledge.  I have come across some very learned folks who are very foolish because they have rejected You.  We do need knowledge, but I'll take Your wisdom over it any day.  Most of the world's knowledge is about temporal things because they have no real idea of eternity.  Your wisdom is about eternal things: righteousness, holiness and redemption.
      Hallelujah that You would want to share these things with me!  I do not want to be a Christ Follower who knows that I have Your righteousness  positionally, and Your redemption because of Your work on the cross for me paying my sin debt, and then live an unholy life.  I long to be holy as You are holy.  Lord, convict me of sin quickly so I may confess and repent.  Lord, lead me into Your holiness!

God Chose the Lowly Things of This World and the Despised Things

1 Corinthians 1:28-29 " He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." NIV
"God chose things despised by the world,  things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God." NLT

      My Sweet Lord,
You chose: a poor virgin girl, a animal shelter, a stable, a carpenter, common laborers, fishermen, tax collectors, demon possessed folks, lepers, prostitutes, adulterers, beggars, the imperfect ones that were sick, lame, blind, deaf and dumb, and the despised Roman cross of crucifixion to accomplish Your greatest works of love, grace, mercy, and victory the world has even known.
      The battles were in the unseen realm of principalities and powers of darkness, but the victory is seen in the results of Your work in the Christ Followers whose lives have been transformed.  Sinful wretches become transformed into powerful preachers, teachers, and missionaries; hardened criminals who get saved start and maintain ministries to prisoners and their families; homes that were torn apart because of drugs, alcohol abuse and violence are re-united under the roof of love and compassion.  The list goes on and on.
      Lord, how can we ever thank and praise You enough for what You have done for us?  We ...I can...NEVER boast except in the cross and Your work on my behalf!  Without You, I can do nothing of value, I am nothing special, and can claim no glory for what You have accomplished in my life.

God Can Use Foolish and Weak ME! Astounding!

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

     Lord, I praise You today for who You are and how You love me.  For Your incarnation, you did not choose to be born of royalty, to have a young woman who was going to marry a simple carpenter.  In Your ministry here, the men You chose to be disciples were not scholars, or religious leaders, or the powerful politicians, or warriors of the day.  You chose fishermen, a tax collector, and others who had little education and were of low degree by earthly standards.  They were common "blue Collar" workers.  Even the learned Paul was a tent maker by trade.
      The meek and humble of this world are usually trod on and bowled over by the arrogant, prideful, and mighty.  In Your lineage You did have some kings (David who was once the youngest of the family and a shepherd, Solomon who was the wisest and richest man in history, and the wicked kings of Israel after him), but the rest of your family tree contains a harlot (Rahab), a foreigner to Israel (Ruth), some nomads (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob),  a murderer turned leader (Moses), and the list goes on.
      In more recent history, you chose James Wilberforce, John Newton, John Knox, Martin Luther, John Calvin, James Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, Bill Bright and Jerry Falwell...and then You chose me...a former fornicator, murderer, and college drop out.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!
      Thank You, Lord, that we do not have to be "somebody" in this world for You to save, love, and use us!  You will take the lowliest of us and, if we are obedient, available, and faithful, will use us in such grand and powerful ways by Your grace and power alone for Your glory.