November 30-December 6, 2025

Heart Preparation:  
Speaking about Paul’s letters in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter writes to the church that “his letters contain some things that are hard to understand”. I’m not afraid to admit that I agree wholeheartedly with Peter. So, if you’re like Peter and myself, there are portions of Paul’s writing that can be difficult to fully understand. Therefore, each day this week as you prepare to read through First and Second Corinthians, pray that God will give you understanding and clarity in what He is wanting you to learn and understand through the words of Paul.
 
Reading Plan: 

• Sunday, November 30 — 1 Corinthians 5-8
• Monday, December 1 — 1 Corinthians 9-11
• Tuesday, December 2 — 1 Corinthians 12-14
• Wednesday, December 3 — 1 Corinthians 15-16
• Thursday, December 4 — 2 Corinthians 1-4
• Friday, December 5 — 2 Corinthians 5-9
• Saturday, December 6 — 2 Corinthians 10-13

 
What to Expect:
1 Corinthians 5-6:  Paul addresses the Christians in Corinth regarding disorder in the church. Sin had crept into the church. Specifically, sexual immorality and lawsuits amongst the believers.


1 Corinthians 7-16: These chapters contain Paul’s answers/instruction to the questions the Corinthians had been asking. Paul addresses marriage, food sacrificed to idols, rights of an apostle, gifts of the spirit, and the resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians closes with an appeal for the church to take a collection of money to send to the much poorer saints in Jerusalem. 

2 Corinthians: While 1 Corinthians is mostly a letter of correction and instruction, 2 Corinthians has a considerably more personal feel. Paul devotes a large part of this letter to defending his authority to teach the gospel, as well as his commitment to spreading the gospel.
 
Personal Insight: 
At some point in all of our lives we have gone through valleys. Periods of time in our lives that test our resolve, our strength, and even our faith. It’s likely that someone reading this is in one of those valleys right now. They are an inevitable part of our life on this side of heaven. But Paul gives believers great hope, and comfort, in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Speaking of hardships, he says: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This is only true IF we are in Christ, and he is in us. Because without Christ, we do lose heart. And we actually waste away inwardly at a much faster pace than we do outwardly. Without him, we have nothing to renew us day by day. A person going through these times without Jesus will ONLY see what can be seen. It’s all they know. And what can be seen will bring nothing but more pain, worry, and fear. All of this together can put someone in a pretty dark place. To me this is what makes Paul’s metaphor earlier in chapter 4 about treasures in jars of clay so profoundly true. When we go through this life with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, even though our physical bodies and minds are just fragile jars that can be shattered at any time, we are filled with treasure. That treasure is the eternal glory that outweighs all of our trials. It is that unseen, eternal hope that we fix our eyes on when we find ourself in the valley. King David wrote In Psalm 34 17-19


The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles. 
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

If you are in one of those valleys today, or the next time you find yourself in one, no matter the depth, strive to focus on that glorious, unseen thing that is eternal.


Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comesupon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. -1 Peter 4:12-13


More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  -Romans 5:3-5.


Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. -James 1:12
 
Prayer:
Heavenly father, thank you for loving us so much and being our rock. Thank you for being that outstretched hand when we feel like we’re in a sea of quicksand. May we spend our time in this earthly life honoring, and loving you above all other things. May we lean on your word, and your promises even more when we are at our lowest. In the mighty name of Jesus -Amen
                       
This week’s devotion was prepared by Jonathan King