(Read the previous devotion here.)
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
This passage begins with a warning for us Christians, that “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” And Paul explains that for those of us who have been saved, the message about the cross “is the power of God.”
The passage contains a prophecy: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Paul warns us here about a powerful truth that is still so hard to live by: God’s ways, wisdom, and plans do not follow our human logic. Although conventional human wisdom might send us to “Street A,” God has an alternative route for us, and it is not up to us to understand it. It is up to us, however, to obey and follow God’s lead. As Paul tells us, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” Consider that no matter how wise or strong one might be, God is still wiser and stronger. We will reap unimaginable blessings if we just trust Him.
We are then presented with another truth, which for me speaks to my favorite facet of God’s character: His sense of humor. God intentionally chose what is foolish to shame the wise and what is weak to shame the strong. Verse 30 then gives us the ultimate hope, that “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
Prayer:
Lord, thank you so much for your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an everlasting blessing that we do not have to rely in our own understanding or strength, as Jesus has earned our redemption on the Cross.
Patricia Torres
(Read the next devotion here.)
