For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11
The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.
My heart breaks for all of those impacted by the events involving Pastor Robert Morris that have transpired and have been revealed in these past several days. My heart breaks because the pain, confusion, disbelief, etc. that you hold may be greater than your ability to communicate. As 1 Corinthians 2:11 affirms, only you know what is happening inside of you. I'm so sorry.
The second half of this verse echoes the reality that we sometimes think and feel in times such as this: God, what are you doing?
1 Corinthians 2:11 reminds us that none of us comprehend the thoughts of God except for the Spirit of God. This, at least initially, leaves us guessing as to what God may be doing during the storms of life.
Fortunately, we can ask the Holy Spirit what God is doing, and in His timing, He will show us (John 16:13).*
These truths may provide some marginal comfort, but the reality is that for a lot of us, the shaking feels surreal and total. Why do we feel shaken in times such as this?
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal in their work Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership explain that culture is revealed and communicated through its symbols.* These symbols include myth, vision, and values (providing deep purpose and resolve); the words and deeds of heroes and heroines (serve as icons or logos for others to admire or emulate); fairy tales and stories (give explanations, reconcile contradictions, and resolve dilemmas); rituals and ceremonies (offer direction, faith, and hope); and metaphor, humor, and play (relax the environment and form communal bonds).* These are the makings of a culture.
In times like this, vision fades, values are questioned, the words of heroes are second-guessed, the meanings of stories are questioned, ceremonies are interrupted, and humor and play all but evaporate but for the nervous laugh used to desperately break tension... culture is adrift. This is why we feel so shaken.
In times like this, our culture, no matter what culture we speak of, as believers, must grab hold of the anchor of our soul: Christ (Hebrews 6:19). As Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 2:11, the importance of intimacy with God in times such as this cannot be overstated. We must remember that His Spirit is inside of us, sharing the thoughts of God with us, and sharing them as we need to know them.* It is the Holy Spirit of God that bridges the impossible gap between our thoughts and His.*
Grabbing hold of Him during times like this does not always feel easy to do, and we need friends to help us.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to reach out to a friend for prayer. Perhaps today God wants you to turn to Him as the anchor of your soul. Maybe today God would like to minister to you as you take time to sit in His presence. Perhaps today God wants you to remember that the Holy Spirit is a helper to bring you close to Him.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal, Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership (Hoboken: Jossey-Bass, 2017), 242.
Garland, D. E. (2003). 1 Corinthians (pp. 98–99). Baker Academic.
Ciampa, R. E., & Rosner, B. S. (2010). The First Letter to the Corinthians (pp. 130–131). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Blomberg, C. (1994). 1 Corinthians (p. 67). Zondervan Publishing House.
Gardner, P. (2018). 1 Corinthians (C. E. Arnold, Ed.; p. 144). Zondervan.
Verbrugge, V. D. (2008). 1 Corinthians. In T. Longman III &. Garland, David E. (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition) (Vol. 11, pp. 278–279). Zondervan.