A Daily Devotion for Tuesday, March 24
- ontrakk
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
I Corinthians 4:9-13
For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
I Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
This is an odd dynamic that Paul describes in the earlier verses of I Corinthians. I didn’t realize that early (Greek) believers looked down on the apostles for being poor and dirty. I suppose, though, that even today we have class tensions between wealthier and poorer churches. I wonder about a Methodist church in Bedford and one in nearby Milford. Or a church in Newport vs. nearby Sunapee. How do those congregations interact with one another, if at all? How would the members treat one another if they were given the opportunity to worship in the same space? I am not sure of the lesson for me as an individual this morning, beyond the obvious, but this truly gives one food for thought.
Holy Lord, May I never look down upon another of your children, especially a fellow believer. Help me to shine your light and show your love. Amen
Becky, transforming
1 Corinthians 4:9-13 & 15:58
Paul clearly spells out how difficult and discouraging it was to be an Apostle. Despite the hardships, their faith and humility carried them along to spread the news of Jesus Christ. The Apostles knew that being misunderstood, rejected, and put down was a component of their journey. Paul, in prison for his faith in Jesus was beheaded and leading up to that never lost his faith and never stopped sharing the news of Jesus Christ. If all that we are taught about Jesus Christ, God‘s grace and salvation were not true, why would the Apostles put themselves through such horrific persecution. Why would they maintain their strong faith until their earthly ends. There is n…
Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
NEVER GIVE YP
(Focus Pastors feeling discouraged
Today’s. Reading 1 Corinthians 4:9-13
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
I can surely relate to the author of the upper room this morning. Humiliation affects self esteem, decreases self confidence and can increase depression and anxiety. It also causes withdrawal with a feeling of inadequacy. This kind of abuse feels like a total rejection of one's value as a human being, leaving a lasting mark on self-identity needing to constantly please others to avoid future humiliation.. BUT humiliation is not a reflection of our self…
I Corinthians 4:9-13, 15:58
I recently read an essay on various responses to the decline of Christianity in the Western world. While there are certainly places in the world governed by Islamist, Hindu or Buddhist extremism wherein Christianity is persecuted and even made illegal, in the West, Christianity’s most formidable foe seems to be apathy and indifference by those who claim to be Christian. This spiritual and doctrinal flabbiness has emboldened the contempt of those who denounce the faith. Vile, anti-Christian public comments, usually untrue, by prominent people are commonplace now, spewed forth without shame and often to supportive applause. The message from the author of the essay mirrors the teaching of Paul to the Corinthians in our readings this…