Monday, August 25, 2008

1 Corinthians -- Foolishness

We are moving on to the book of 1 Corinthians. Today, read 1 Cor 1-2

Today's Devotion -- 1 Cor 1:18-25 18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (NIV)
www.biblegateway.com

Why did God make knowledge of him and his ways look like foolishness to the world? Wouldn't more people believe if it seemed logical?

Do you remember the foolishness of religion before you believed? Creation, virgin birth, resurrection, Jesus taking on MY sins and thinking of ME on the cross? Being born again, having to pay 10% of our hard earned money, flooding the whole world, getting kicked out of paradise for eating an apple? The foolish examples could go on and on.

There are still many things that are difficult for me to understand based on the worldly perspective we are all raised with, but it is so freeing to realize that God doesn't want us to understand -- he just wants us to believe and trust.

The world thinks that belief in God is a crutch for those of us who are too weak to make it in this world on our own. Many people take pride in their ability to survive and (they think) thrive in a world full of sin, refusing to admit that there might be a bigger purpose to life or that they will be held accountable for their actions.

If knowing the truth and believing in things that don't logically make sense makes me weak, I'm proud to say that I need God's help to make it through the day. Call me foolish, but I choose to believe in the one power that will make a difference for all eternity! That belief opens my eyes to the true foolishness of the world.

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