Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:23, NKJV- “But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth.”
Paul was calling upon God to be the witness of his soul to the people of Corinth. He was assuring them that he had postponed a second visit to them so that this letter would help them find joy rather than his discipline.
Some things are better left unsaid. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit I must call upon God to produce. We can also ask God to be our witness. As Paul was relaying in 2 Corinthians, we are to spend more time helping others find the joy of God instead of espousing harsh discipline upon their faith.
In today’s meme culture, Christians can be ruthless in judging other believers. Too often we witness impatience and harsh discipline with other followers of Christ. We too need to call upon God to be our witness. As Paul expressed in 2 Corinthians 1:24 “But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice.” We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.” (NLT)
Paul also stated in 2 Corinthians 1;21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.“ (NIV) We can learn from Paul that our roles are to be fellow workers for the joy of others and encourage each other to stand firm in our faith. I am calling on God to be the only witness against my soul and to trust Him with the faith of others. Just as each of us come to God in His perfect timing, we can trust God with the faith timing of other believers.
Are we going to be messengers of joy today or harsh disciplinarians? I am not saying anything goes but I am saying we should give everything to God and trust Him for conviction. We can encourage as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 15:1 “Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.” (NLT)
We must continue to share the Gospel of Jesus that helps people find faith in the joy of the Good News. As Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (NIV)
God is our witness and it is Him who leads us all triumphantly to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere with a pleasant aroma that spreads joy to all who are willing to stand in the faith. As 2 Corinthians states our competency and sufficiency comes from God.
Blessings to you all; do you trust God to be your witness?
Today’s Prayer: LORD, I am calling to You and praising You for being my witness. Your witness is true and You bring to us those who build us up and those who we can help with joy. All praise and glory are Yours Father God. I thank You God for Your blessings upon my brothers and sisters in Christ. May we stand firm in our faith in the Gospel of Christ. Amen.
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