For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).

Paul finished Chapter 9 with the admonition to “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” He wanted the Corinthians to take their relationship with God seriously. He continues that theme into Chapter 10 by turning to look at Israel’s history. God’s people have always found strength in the story of the Exodus. We take comfort in the displays of God’s power on behalf of His people. We imagine what it must have been like to witness the plagues, the parting of the Sea, the manna, water gushing forth from the rock…

And yet, the vast majority of them died in the desert.

They never made it to the Promised Land.

Paul’s message is clear–It is not enough to call yourself one of God’s people.

You have to live it.

You can partake of His blessings and still fall short, if your heart isn’t His.

So, heart check: Do you follow Christ because He blesses you, or do you belong to Him, heart and soul?

It’s a matter of life and death.

Happy Monday, Beloved