humble – Be Still…

Mark 9:33-37 – Who’s the Greatest?

Read Mark 9:33-37

Like willful children teasing each other about who is mom or dad’s favorite, the disciples were at odds amongst themselves. Wondering who was greatest, I have to assume, meant who did Jesus favor the most. I wonder what Jesus thought when they admitted to their squabble.

Jesus’ answer was clear and to the point. We, too, can see an opportunity to be great. What do we need to do to find this kind of favor? Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Do you think the disciples were a little shocked over this?

1 Peter 5:1-7 – Passing the Torch

Read 1 Peter 5:1-7

Peter concludes this letter and passes the torch, so to speak, to the other elders in his audience. Peter’s words, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you,” are similar to the charge Jesus himself had given Peter after the resurrection. Jesus had told Peter in John’s gospel to “Feed my sheep,” referring to his own flock of believers. This letter is evidence that Peter did just as Jesus said.

When I think of an “elder,” I think of someone who has been a Christ follower for a long time and experienced many of God’s life-changing moments. In the context of Peter’s letter, the term “elder” signifies the leaders of the church to whom people look to for an example of faithfulness.

1 Samuel 18:17-30 – Humility

Read 1 Samuel 18:17-30

This is a bit of a delayed reward. Remember the words David heard about Saul’s reward — that the one who took down Goliath would get to marry one of Saul’s daughters? I’m not sure how much time has passed, but it looks like David is finally going to receive his prize.

Although, it doesn’t sound like that part of Saul’s “reward” was a motivating factor for David in killing Goliath. He says, “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” What do you think of David’s humility here? He even gave the gift away! Adriel, a man from Meholah, now had a new bride, the king’s daughter, thanks to David!

Proverbs 15:21-33 – Humble Yourself

Read Proverbs 15:21-33

Would you agree that most people would rather take the shorter route to their destination? Or perhaps the fastest route would be better? To say the least, we are a destination focused society. Think of these examples. On vacation, you are heading somewhere. When reading a book, your destination is the ending of the story. When in school, you are working toward a degree or certification. Whatever the destination is, there is a journey to get there.

What if the journey is more important than the destination? Are we spending too much time focused on outcome that we miss the beauty of the steps to get there? Think of all the people who want to be famous and receive recognition and honor. That is the destination they seek. Verse 33 would say, “Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.” We must humble ourselves first. If our “destination” is fame and glory, we need to first step back, humble ourselves, and prepare our hearts for the honor. We need not discount the beautiful journey we will take to get there and be more focused on serving and blessing others.

Luke 18:9-14 – Humble Yourself Before God

Read Luke 18:9-14

There is a huge message here for us today in these short verses. Jesus’ example is just crystal clear. Can’t you just picture the scene? As we read through the New Testament, I don’t know about you, but I get a pretty tainted view of the Pharisees. They are supposed to be upright, holy people. They think they are at least. Time and again I am left shaking my head at their lack of faith, or maybe I should say misdirected faith.

Even today, some church leaders take on an attitude that they are better than the rest. As the wife of a pastor, I know we are sinners in need of a Savior just like everyone else. I was often asked to have my husband, David pray because they thought his prayers carried more weight or something. Not true. We are crying out to God, just like the tax collector in the story. As we should. We all are in need of God’s mercy. Continue reading “Luke 18:9-14 – Humble Yourself Before God”