Motivation Morsel - September 2, 2026
- apostlekehdesk
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
1 Corinthians 10 For, brothers, I don’t want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2 and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3 also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4 and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit — for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. 5 Yet with the majority of them God was not pleased, so their bodies were strewn across the desert.
6 Now these things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were — as the Tanakhputs it, “The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 And let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, with the consequence that 23,000 died in a single day. 9 And let us not put the Messiah to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroying Angel.
11 These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim. 12 Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall! 13 No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.
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I woke up this morning logged onto work, looked at my queue, saw a note for a final test (I have completed three assessments in a week, each saying final test) and wanted to grumble and heard, take the day off. I did. Next, I heard clearly, “Ask me what’s next?” And I did. Next, I was led to this passage of Scripture, and I am so grateful that I hear Holy Spirit.
These verses start out warning us, believers today, that it is crucial to avoid idolatry and self-confidence and to learn from the failures of the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites had experienced so many miracles and so much favor in being delivered from Egypt, passing through the Sea of Suf ( the Red Sea), eating manna, the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, and still many of them displeased the Most High and died in the wilderness. They did not make it to the land they were promised.
Why? Because they kept taking G-d’s goodness and mercy for granted. Instead of holding to the holiness, favor, and chosen status as His children, they fell into sin, idolatry, sexual immorality, testing the Most High, murmuring, complaining, and grumbling.
Paul wanted his generation in 1 Corinthians 10 and I believe I was led to this today, so we can be reminded not to take G-d’s favor, blessings, and miracles for granted. I believe He wanted me to see that every trial or hard place we go through is to bring us to a better place, and to learn from the mistakes of our forefathers in the wilderness. The ask what’s next reminded me of the Most High’s guiding them through the wilderness up to Numbers 13 and 14 when the final test or entrance exam to the Promised Land came, and they failed it. All the other tests:
The Red Sea (Sea of Suf): Fear, panic, and complaining when facing Pharaoh's army (Exodus 14:10–12).
The Bitter Water of Marah: Complaining because the water was undrinkable (Exodus 15:22–24).
The Desert of Sin Hunger: Grumbling about a lack of food and meat like they had in Egypt (Exodus 16:1–3).
The Mishandling of Manna: Disobeying instructions and leaving manna overnight, causing it to rot (Exodus 16:19–20).
Collecting Manna on the Sabbath: Going out to look for food on the seventh day despite the command not to (Exodus 16:27–30).
The Water at Rephidim (Massah): Quarreling and testing the Most High over a lack of water (Exodus 17:1–4).
The Golden Calf: Worshiping an idol at Mount Sinai while Moses was on the mountain (Exodus 32:1–35).
Complaining at Taberah: Grumbling about general hardships in the wilderness (Numbers 11:1–3).
Complaining at Kibroth Hattaavah: Craving meat and rejecting the provision of manna (Numbers 11:4–34).
All those tests were golden opportunities to learn how to completely trust the Most High on a 11-12 day journey to the Promised Land that ended up as wandering in the desert 40 years and death for all but Joshua and Caleb for the original generation over 20 years old who left Egypt. Instead of seeing the spying mission (the real final test) through the eyes of G-d, they looked at it through their eyes, complained and wished for death, and the Most High said, “That’s it, you will not enter into the promise and get what you asked for death here in the wilderness.” That was the final test and it cost them their very lives instead of entry into the promise. On the positive note, Joshua and Caleb, who responded right at that test, entered in the Promised Land at the end of that forty years and lived in the land of promise.
As many of us have been walking through tests and trials and have now come to the threshold of our NEW season, some are like me in a foreign and very unfamiliar place, let us not repeat the mistakes of the Israelites. Walk through every trial and test with thankfulness and gratitude as preparation for what’s next. If the Most High has you in this place, He knows it is working on something necessary for the next place. He wants us to learn to look at every situation through His eyes and His perspective and know that there is nothing too hard for Him and He will give us enduring strength to overcome, persevere, and prosper in preparation for what’s next.
Paul let’s us know that this promise of endurance in verse 13 should reassure us as believers in the Messiah, that every temptation is common to mankind and manageable through faith and trust in the Most High. G-d is faithful, and He will always provide a way of escape so people can endure. Having spiritual favor does not mean we will endure to the end, but faith in the power of the Almighty G-d to bring us through will bring us safely into the next place He has prepared for us.
So Beloved, whatever we are facing that will make us want to doubt, grumble, murmur, complain, question or test the Most High, remember the mistakes of our ancestors in the wilderness and lean not to our own understanding, but ask the Most High for increased faith. His view on the situation, and enduring strength to pass the test is available to us all. We, like our forefathers, don’t know when our true final test will come, and He wants us all to pass, so take the tests of each day as preparation.
Happy Wednesday, Family ❤️
Enjoy “It’s only a test” by Bishop Larry Trotter
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