Today Daily Devotional

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
— 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

In our garden one summer day, I was suddenly assaulted by a bee buzzing furiously around my head. Panicking (never a good idea), I flailed furiously with my hat, trying to swat it away. The bee zeroed in and sunk its stinger into my nose. When it circled and then flew in to sting me again, I knew it could not be one of my honeybees. They lose their stingers and die after one sting. Thankfully, I was able to escape with only one sting.Are you afraid of bees? Many people are. Bee stings are painful. And if you are allergic, bee stings can be dangerous and even deadly. Getting too many bee stings at once could overwhelm and cause death for anyone.Are you afraid of death? Paul’s words to Christ-followers in 1 Corinthians 15 are aimed at calming our fears of being stung to death. Paul explains that sin delivers the sting that leads to death. When people go their own way, their sin is like a deadly stinger that shoots venom into them, resulting in death. The only antidote to the poisonous venom of sin and death is in Jesus—his death for our sins and his resurrection victory over death.We can trust in Jesus and walk in his resurrection power each day, sharing with others the good news of salvation and new life in him.

Dear Jesus, you came to die for our sin, taking on the sting of death for all who trust in you. Assure us that in your resurrection power we can be free of sin and death and rise to new life with you. In your name, Amen.

We are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
— 2 Corinthians 2:15

People who have studied bee communication have observed a complex system in which bees use pheromones (scents). These “chemical messengers” that bees produce and receive are needed for a hive to thrive. For example, scents are central to the mating process. And if the hive is threatened, worker bees give off an alarm scent that rallies other bees to go out and sting potential intruders. Also, each hive is marked with its own queen’s scent so that the gatherer bees from that hive will find their way safely back to it.In communication among living things, so much is shared in subtle ways. For instance, we can communicate nonverbally through gestures, looks, posture, tone of voice, and so on. People who have studied human interactions assert that 80-90 percent of our communication is nonverbal, and this can either support or contrast with our words.As Christ-followers, we are encouraged to infuse our communication with the “pleasing aroma of Christ.” There is no way to fake this scent. It can come only through our union with Christ. Ephesians 5:2 recommends, for example, that we “walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Doing that, we can spread the pleasing scent of Christ to the people around us.

Lord Jesus, may our actions and words be infused with your scent so that others may sense your presence in us and be drawn to you. Amen.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
— Galatians 5:25

Did you know that honeybees communicate by dancing? Beekeepers have identified three dances used by these bees.Scout bees use the “waggle dance” to describe the distance, direction, and quality of a food source to be gathered. The number of waggles and the length of the dance indicate how rich and how far away the food supply is.In contrast, the “round dance” communicates that a food source is nearby. Moving in small circles on the honeycomb, scouts recruit foragers to go and get this local food.In the “sickle dance,” the bees use a crescent-shaped pattern and make special sounds and vibrations when the colony needs to be defended from a threat. I’m sure this dance was used when I’ve been stung and chased away.Honeybees learn their dance moves by instinct and imitation. But this is not the case for Christ-followers. Our missteps in communication are often damaging and in need of correction. Going with the flow of the sinful nature brings pain and damage to the body of Christ.The dance that Christ-followers need to learn is to “keep in step with the Spirit.” It is essential that we learn to show “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” in all our interactions with one another. Which steps in this dance have you been learning and practicing lately?

Spirit of God, fill us with your love and wisdom, that we may keep in step with you in all of our interactions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that . . . its parts should have equal concern for each other.
— 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

During high school I was invited to a party. This had never happened to me before, so it made me feel kind of special. At the party, however, the host privately explained that “they” thought there should be a party for people who were not usually invited. Feeling pitied, I soon left. Being “special” in that way made me feel that I was not genuinely valued.In our reading for today, some parts of the human body are described as “weaker,” “less honorable,” or “unpresentable.” But in the body of believers in Christ, we need to take care not to view or treat anyone in a way like that.Drone bees, aside from the fact that some of them mate with the queen bee (and then die), have not been observed doing any work in the hive. They have been described as just hanging around and eating honey (made and stored by the worker bees). Drones also look different and have no stinger. In autumn they suffer the final indignity of being kicked out of the hive so that the honey for the queen and the worker bees will last during the winter.In the body of Christ, however, no one is a drone. All parts are needed and indispensable, worthy of special concern and honor, not condescension. We are all partners in Christ, and we strive to develop each other’s gifts as the Lord has given them. How are you serving together with all the other parts of Christ body?

Lord Jesus, thank you for making me a part of your body. May we all honor and care equally for all the parts of your body as we serve you. Amen.

Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
— 1 Corinthians 12:14

When worker bees first hatch and emerge from their cells, their first task is to clean out their cell so that a new egg can be placed there.As worker bees mature, they gain different responsibilities, becoming nurse bees for new bees, clutter cleaners, guards against hive robbers and threats (stinging if necessary), queen feeders (she cannot feed herself!), scouts and foragers for available nectar and pollen to make honey, and builders of new cells for storing honey, nectar, and eggs. All of this is done in about six weeks while the worker bee lives and prepares for the next generation to keep the hive thriving and growing.It would be inconceivable for any of the bees in a hive to say to one another, “I don’t need you!” It would be just as unimaginable for an ear to say to an eye (or any other part of the human body), “I don’t need you!” That would be absurd.For the body of Christ to mature and thrive, each of Jesus’ followers needs to humbly recognize and do their part. There are many, many ways in which Christ needs us to do our part with him and with the other parts of his body. When we each willingly discern and serve as we are gifted to do, we will mature together and thrive with the whole body.

Lord Jesus, help us to believe and serve as the part of your body where you need us and call us to be. Guide us to serve as you have gifted us, working with the other parts of your body for the benefit of all and for your glory. Amen.