1 Corinthians 2:6-8 Baby Christians don’t understand.
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: January 23, 2020 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(Understanding the Text) Just before this Paul was speaking about how he did not use words of wisdom to persuade the Corinthians of the truth of the gospel. He had just explained what Jesus had done, but he had not resorted to rhetoric or quoting their own authors to them or logic. Instead, his words had been accompanied by signs and miracles that demonstrated the power of God. Now, he wants the Corinthians to understand that wisdom is not bad; however, it needs to be a certain kind of wisdom. Also, timing is part of that wisdom. They would not able to understand this wisdom until they matured as Christians.
(Revelation of God) Paul points out that the wisdom of the world will pass away, but the wisdom found in God will last. He says that God’s wisdom is secret and hidden. Why is it hidden? Because we simply can’t see it until we stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on Him. It is there in plain sight, but it is hidden because most people simply don’t have the capacity to see it. God’s wisdom is in Christ. It is in the All Powerful God of the Universe becoming a human with limited capacities. Humans looked on Jesus and simply saw a human man that they could kill if He got in their way. They didn’t see that they were placing themselves in opposition to a power so strong that it could squash them to nothingness with a thought. If they had, they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus because of their worldly respect for and fear of power.
There is a verse that says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The scribes and Pharisees did not fear God, even as God. The disciples had learned to fear Jesus because of His power, even while they loved Him and trusted Him. Only Judas did not fear Jesus. That’s why he thought that he could manipulate Him. A mature Christian sees in the cross, not just God’s love and mercy, but also God’s power. A mature Christian understands that God is Lord of their lives. It is the immature Christian who thinks that he can have Jesus and the world also, who thinks that he can give partial or shared allegiance to Jesus. That kind of Christian cannot understand the wisdom of God.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to become mature. I need to trust that You love me. I need to trust in Your mercy, but I also need to fear You in the sense that I bow to You as my Lord and place You above all others in my life. You are my Lord, and I pray to represent You well and never bring shame to You.