OCTOBER 5, 2012
Least
Powerful People
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall. —1 Corinthians 10:12
An
unusual list called The 100 Least Powerful People in the World
appeared
in the online publication 24/7 Wall St. Among those selected
were corporate executives, sports figures, politicians, and celebrities
who
shared one common characteristic—they used to be powerful.
Some were victims
of circumstances, others made poor business
decisions, while others lost their
influence because of moral failure.
In
1 Corinthians 10, Paul draws a somber lesson from Old Testament
history. The
people Moses led from slavery in Egypt toward freedom
in the Promised Land kept
turning their backs on God who had
delivered them (vv.1-5). Idolatry,
immorality, and grumbling were
among the things that brought them down
(vv.6-10). Paul points to
their collapse as an example to us, and sounds this warning:
“Let him
who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (v.12).
Every
follower of Jesus can stand firm on God’s promise: “He will see
to it that
every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be
impossible for you to
bear it” (v.13 Phillips). All of us have power to
influence others in their
faith. How tragic to squander it by yielding to
a temptation that God has
empowered us to resist.
Lord, there are temptations to sin everywhere. Help me
not to give in. Make me sensitive to see the ways out
that You provide. I want my love for You to be real and
to encourage others in their faith journey.
The best way to escape temptation is to run to God.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
