THAT ROCK

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 10

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Looking to the northeast you can see Lykavittos Hill and Athens’ urban sprawl viewed from the Acropolis in Athens. When Paul writes, “That Rock was Christ,” (10:4b) he may have been thinking of one of the great rocks in the area.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:4

…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

The word “all” stands out in our reading because it is repeated 10 times. Partaking of Christ is an “all” encompassing life. There is no area of our lives not impacted by Christ. In our readings in Genesis through Judges, we were given examples of how to live and how not to live. Examples are useless unless we learn from them. Here we learn the following: First, Christ our Rock was stricken for our spiritual drink. Go ahead and drink! Second, we learn not to lust after evil. Third, we are to control our tongues…no murmuring. Fourth, God will not force us to take the escape route He provides when we are tempted. Fifth, God wants to be in every detail of our lives. Sixth, we must do “all” to the glory of God. Seventh, give no offense (don’t offend people). Why? Here’s the bottom line: The result of the totality of our lives is, “That they may be saved” (verse 33). We need to ask ourselves the question…”How are we involved in saving precious people who are lost outside of Christ?”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear God, by Your grace given to me, enable me to live so passionately for You that my very life will be an example of Christ, so that my words, those things to which I give my time and my money, will be effective in seeing people saved. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I remember my preacher Dad saying, “They wobble in and wobble out, and leave the people all in doubt.” I don’t remember the occasion. He may have been referring to a politician or perhaps a preacher who spoke moral concepts without the power and authority of God’s Word to prove that he spoke God’s true message. Preparing this blog each morning is leading me more deeply into the mind of God as He expresses His thoughts through the Prophets, the historical record, and in particular, the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles.

As a child, I was very impressed by the effort my parents made in order not to give offense to others (10:32). In preparation for the Sunday, any chores had to be completed by bedtime on Saturday night. My job was to clean the little stems out of the beans which would be baked for Sunday dinner. I also churned butter, brought in firewood, etc. I knew that our entire community, with very few exceptions, attempted to keep the Lord’s day exclusively for worship, listening to the Preacher’s sermons, reading church publications, and perhaps going for a walk in the woods. Things have changed but the principles have not. My Dad prayed every day in family prayers, “O Lord, may the smile of Your approval be upon our lives.”

Yours for living to the Glory of God!

David

P.S. Have you ever sent my blog to a friend? I don’t know how to do this, but I’m told it’s done by a couple of clicks (my son says you can cut and paste the “100words.ca” web address from your web browser into an email or onto Facebook). The next generations make it look so easy, and I sometimes feel that I’m still in the horse and buggy era. Ha! But I’m enjoying life right where I am!

Looking toward the south-west from the Acropolis in Athens, you can see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater that was built on the south slope in 161 AD. In the distance you can also see the Philopappos Hill.