1 Corinthians 10:1–13 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 10I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, Verse 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, Verse 3and all ate the same spiritual food, Verse 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Verse 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Verse 6Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Verse 7Do 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." Verse 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. Verse 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. Verse 10And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Verse 11These 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. Verse 12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. Verse 13No 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.
Devotion
But what if I make a mistake? What if I fail? These are questions that we often ask ourselves, but they are also questions our seminary contextual learning office hears quite often from our students. Our response is often, “There is no failure, only failure to learn.” Today’s reading could be considered a cautionary tale of what happens when we fail to learn. We have learned of the mistakes of others throughout the Bible story and throughout history. We know of God’s abundant grace and love and yet Paul’s words seem to contradict it. Or do they?
What if God is giving us the courage and strength to face our mistakes and our failures? What if God is saying the way things are today is not how they will always be? What if we make a mistake and God’s answer is, “I will catch you”?
Prayer
God of grace and love, enfold us in your wisdom and point us in the pathway of truth and reconciliation. In our moments of uncertainty and in the times we feel we have failed, lift us up and guide our days. In Christ, your Son, we pray. Amen.