ESOCS Devotional 26 September 2025 – Why Searching Your Heart is Helpful Practice
MEMORY VERSE: “But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.” 1 Corinthians 11:31 NIV
TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 11:13-34
Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
17 Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many [i]sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
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If your smartphone’s autocorrect changes “I love you” into “I loathe you,” it might lead to a rough evening for you and your significant other. We can avoid relationship roulette by carefully proofreading messages before our loved ones see them.
In 1 Corinthians 11:31, Paul encourages Christians to “proofread” our lives: If we examine our hearts for sin, we won’t have to wait until trouble ensues.
In the Corinthian church, people were participating in the Lord’s Supper without recognizing the significance of the meal. Taking communion is a symbolic way to show we belong to Jesus and to remember what Jesus did for us. For those reasons, Paul warns people not to take the Lord’s Supper without first examining where they stand with Jesus and with others.
Searching our hearts is a helpful practice to get into, and not just before taking communion.
As we grow aware of the selfishness in our hearts, we have an opportunity to deal with our sin before we’re tempted to give way to our sin. Sin always has consequences. The idea that it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission is a lie when it comes to sin. Think about King David, whose child died because he ignored God’s commands and had an affair with a married woman named Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:14).
God loves us too much not to correct us. The point of God’s discipline is so “we will not be finally condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32). God always has our best interests at heart and He can use even the consequences of our sin to draw us closer to Himself.
CHALLENGES
- When was the last time you saw God’s correction draw you closer to Him?
- Does knowing sin always has consequences make you think twice about your actions? Why or why not?
PRAYER POINT
- Holy Spirit, help me to daily search my heart, as I journey through this Christian race and may I be consecrated unto Thee, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 1 Kings 7:35-51; 1 Kings 8:1-20; 1 Corinthians 12:1-15
ESOCS Devotional 26 September 2025
