We Christians have received a priceless treasure (the glorious gospel) in a very frail and perishable container (our weak bodies). There is a reason. So nobody will have any question about the source of power.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Bible Characters
Being a Servant Is Unannounced
As Jesus prepared to wash His disciples’ feet, He never said, “Men, I am now going to demonstrate servanthood—watch my humility.” No way. That kind of obvious pride was the trademark of the Pharisees.
Read MoreFeeling Used and Unappreciated
For a servant named Gehazi, working alongside a high-profile, greatly respected prophet like Elisha was a privilege. But at the same time, it was a particular position that brought about unique temptations.
Read MoreForgetting Your Own Good Deeds
Yesterday, we talked about what it means to “forget” when other people do bad deeds to us. Today, I want to address forgetting when we do good deeds to others. In other words, once our own good deeds are done, they’re done.
Read MoreGenuine Humility
When we think of what the great apostle Paul was like, the idea of humility isn’t the first one that jumps into our minds. Consider his own admission.
Read MoreTransparent Humanity
The great apostle Paul was just like you and me . . . he had a love for God blended with feet of clay. Great passion . . . and great weakness. The longer I thought about this concept, the more evidence emerged from Scripture to support it.
Read MoreA Model Servant
Perhaps the finest model, other than Christ Himself, was that young Jew from Tarsus who was radically transformed from a strong-willed official in Judaism to a bond servant of Jesus Christ—Paul.
Read MoreThe Cry from a Cave
The Cave of Adullam was no Holiday Inn. It was a wicked refugee camp . . . a dark vault on the side of a cliff that reached deeply into a hill. Huddled in this clammy cavern were 400 losers—a mob of miserable humanity. They came from all over and wound up all together. Listen to the account: Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered . . . . There were about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:2)
Read MoreTeachability
David’s song, preserved for us as Psalm 131, says that he does not involve himself in great matters or “things too difficult for him.” The idea here is that he doesn’t pursue places of prominence or greatness. He recognizes his own limitations based on an honest assessment of his knowledge and skills, and he feels no need to play the hero. He simply doesn’t have anything to prove.
Read MoreResponse to Others
Psalm 101, David’s spiritual manifesto in song, began with a list of admirable qualities the king desired to cultivate. He then took a good look around him to determine how he would respond to different kinds of individuals based on their positive or negative influence. The Blameless. He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. (101:6b)
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