2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezra 1:1-2:70 ESV, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 ESV, Psalm 27:7-14 ESV, Proverbs 20:22-23 ESV
Daily Verse: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18 ESV)
MORIA (3472): “Silliness, i.e., absurdity: foolishness, and is used in 1 Cor. 1:18.”[i]
Foolishness.
No one can save themselves from their sin. People who think they can consider the cross foolish. Not believing in Jesus, they follow their path, leading to sorrowful places.
A Facebook meme caught my attention recently:
“The fact that there’s a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about the anticipated traffic numbers.”
Having never read the non-Biblical meme before, it caused me to stop and think. In my world, more people don’t follow Jesus than do. Sunday mornings at church recharge me after fighting the good fight for Jesus with people who don’t care about Him. Gathering with other believers strengthens my faith which wavers during the week.
Powerful cross.
God does exist. Many people attempt to prove the Big Guy doesn’t exist, but they can’t. Ultimately, they make a conscious decision not to believe in Jesus. Everyone gets to choose; Christ doesn’t force Himself on anyone.
Chatting with an atheist about God, I asked him how he couldn’t believe in His existence. His response still baffles me.
“I know something exists beyond this life. I’ve prayed and stuff before. But God doesn’t exist; He just doesn’t.”
The conversation ended at that point. I realized my friend didn’t believe in God because of his decision. God doesn’t call me to change people’s minds; He calls me to love them. Praying for people helps me fulfill God’s will.
For my friend, I pray he discovers the power of the cross. Like Paul, who experienced Jesus on the road to Damascus, life change can happen anywhere to anyone. When faced with someone who denies the power of the cross, begin with prayer. Ask God to draw them to Him, softening their hearts and giving them eyes to see and ears to hear.
Then love them to the best of your ability, trusting God will bless your efforts. None of us knows when life change will occur, but we do know that with Jesus, it does.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 169) Thomas Nelson
