ALL – Psalm 52:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 22:26-27
OT – Isaiah 1:1-2:22
NT – 2 Corinthians 10:1-18
Interesting passage for the day: Oh, don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how good they are! Their trouble is that they are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring themselves against their own little ideas. What stupidity! – 2 Corinthians 10:12, The Living Bible
Thought: If you want to look good, compare yourself to another human being. Seriously. I can make myself look better than Bill Gates. I can make myself look better than Michael Jordan. I can make myself look better than President Obama. Perhaps not in every area of life, but in a few. And if those few aspects of life are all I focus on, I can look pretty good.
It’s tougher to look good when we compare ourselves to God’s standards. Do I need to say anything more than that? Just think about it a bit. When we measure ourselves by God’s standards, there is only one thing left to do: Call on Jesus for help!
Question: How long has it been since you’ve really thought about your need for Jesus? What areas of your life make you realize how much you need Him? When will you set aside time to call on Him to change you by the power of His Spirit?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label comparisons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comparisons. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Why So Proud?
Daniel 4:1-5:12; Psalm 120; Proverbs 28:25-26
People are so…strange. We compare ourselves in every category: hairstyle, whiteness of teeth, build, wealth, intellect, stylishness, athleticism, etc. And even if we lose in every category but one, we take that one category, make it more important than all the rest, and try to convince everyone else that our pride is justified.
God hates pride.
Here’s a lesson that King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian whose forces were powerful enough to overcome Judah and carry the Judeans into exile, learned from his own encounters with God about pride:
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:37
What did it take for the man who was, at the time, king of kings, to learn this?
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. – Daniel 4:33-34a
If God can touch the human king of kings, what hope does any of us have of maintaining our pride?
Pray for humility--pray that God would allow you to see yourself as You are, as He sees you. And then praise Him that He loves you so much that He sent His Son to redeem You by His own death.
When have you realized that God is far more important than you are?
People are so…strange. We compare ourselves in every category: hairstyle, whiteness of teeth, build, wealth, intellect, stylishness, athleticism, etc. And even if we lose in every category but one, we take that one category, make it more important than all the rest, and try to convince everyone else that our pride is justified.
God hates pride.
Here’s a lesson that King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian whose forces were powerful enough to overcome Judah and carry the Judeans into exile, learned from his own encounters with God about pride:
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. – Daniel 4:37
What did it take for the man who was, at the time, king of kings, to learn this?
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. – Daniel 4:33-34a
If God can touch the human king of kings, what hope does any of us have of maintaining our pride?
Pray for humility--pray that God would allow you to see yourself as You are, as He sees you. And then praise Him that He loves you so much that He sent His Son to redeem You by His own death.
When have you realized that God is far more important than you are?
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