Today’s Reading, 1 Corinthians 9-11
Focal Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 “They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.”
Warnings are everywhere we look if we are paying attention. You can see warning labels on almost every package you receive. There are warnings on food. You can even find warnings on contracts that are signed, especially if there is a remote possibility something bad could happen. The point is that warnings are everywhere yet people still don’t pay attention to them in their daily life. Warning signs are almost always ignored by the vast majority of people.
In today’s reading we are given a strong warning from Paul about Israel’s past. He tells the church at Corinth that the Israelites got the spiritual food from heaven to sustain them on their journey in the wilderness. They even drank from the rock that followed them around to give them water. This rock was no ordinary rock it was Christ himself that provided what they needed. However, even though they participated and received these blessings, God was still not pleased with them and struck them down.
So what is the warning from the rock of Christ? It is that you can go through the motions and participate in all of the activities of religion but still make the Lord unhappy. You can look the part, get the T-shirt, be an active member of the group and still violate the scriptural expectations of being a believer.
What does this mean for us today? It means that merely participating in church and looking the part doesn’t mean the Lord is happy with what we are doing. The Lord looks at our heart. He examines why we do what we do for him in every instance. He knows if how we act behind closed doors and in public are the same. He knows all of our secrets.
So the question that must be asked from these scriptures is this; Is God pleased with us or would he strike us down in the wilderness? Participation does not mean you understand what you are committing yourself to for the rest of your life. Learn the most important lesson from the rock of Christ. That participation doesn’t mean acceptance.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Corinthians 12-14
