Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
The opening verses of this chapter are a touching admission of Paul's lack of self-confidence as a preacher and evangelist when he came to Corinth: 'I was weak and trembled all over with fear', he says (verse 3). But while he had no confidence in himself, he had absolute confidence in Christ.
The rest of the chapter develops this contrast between human wisdom and God's power. Bluntly put, believers know things that other people don't, and through God's Spirit can do things other people can't (verse 14). This might seem like arrogance, but it isn't if we hold it in the light of God's grace to us. Everything we have, we've been given.
Even a few decades ago, in the West, a broadly Christian framework for understanding the world was 'normal'. Now, that's not really true – though much of what we assume about right and wrong is still based on Christian principles. But we can't assume that our views and attitudes are supported by a general consensus. In that way, we're closer to Paul: our confidence comes from our trust in Christ and our experience of the power of God in our lives.
In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. The man's testimony against those who criticised Jesus was, 'One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see' (verse 25). However feeble our attempts at evangelism might be or however much we feel we're in a neglected minority, we can still testify to God's power at work in us.
God, when I feel inadequate for the tasks you've given me and unsure of how to live in a world that doesn't acknowledge you, help me to remember your love for me and your grace poured out through Jesus.
This reflection was written by Mark Woods, Bible Society's Editor
Read the Bible 
Processing...