1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, Verse 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind- Verse 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you- Verse 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Devotion
In the mid-1990s my family became friends with a Haitian student studying at a local Christian college. He spent holidays with us, was supplied with generous quantities of cookies and hot dishes—via grandma & grandpa, of course—and often came to our home when he needed family time. He went on to graduate school, earned a seminary M.Div. degree and returned to Haiti to do ministry among God’s people there. Years later, on a fund-raising trip across the states, he used today’s reading as the basis on which to preach at the church I was serving. He aimed these words straight at me and then also to the congregation who was helping to support his ministry. That day he reminded me and the congregation that when we trust in the gifts God has given to each of us; we are enough, we have enough, and we can do enough in God’s world for God’s people.
Prayer
I give thanks to you God, every time I think of the people who have helped me grow in faith and taught me how to live and work as a disciple. Help me to trust in your ongoing provision, nurture, and love for me. Amen.