I Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Read I Corinthians 1:3-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, Verse 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind- Verse 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you- Verse 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Devotion
As we wait for God to act in our lives, in our churches, and in the world, we are reminded by Paul that God has equipped us with all we need to live in the fullness of His grace right now. Even so, we wait for God to act in new and even more powerful ways. Paul gives thanks for the gift of the human relationships he has in the Corinthian church. They have been a blessing to him. Even more, through those dear human relationships, he had seen God powerfully at work building the community of that church.
We are equipped with those same gifts: speech, knowledge, bold witnessing, and many more. Indeed, the church lacks no spiritual gifts. As we wait for the fullness of Christ’s coming again we have our church community to sustain us, not just in Word and Sacrament but in the human fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The more difficult the times, the dearer is Christian fellowship.
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the gifts you have provided us, especially the gifts that come to us through other people. These gifts are signs of your gracious love for us as we wait for your coming. Amen.