Tag: Bible

Humble Gratitude

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

A Pharisee invites Jesus to his home.  He treats Jesus rudely – neither giving him water to wash his feet or even giving  a proper greeting.  Then comes this woman.  We know little about her – only that she was a sinner.  She had a reputation – and not a good one.  Somewhere, somehow we must surmise that she had crossed paths with Jesus.  She had heard him speak of repentance and forgiveness.  She had found mercy and love and grace.  And so now she comes.  Risking the ridicule and hostility of those at the Pharisee’s house, she comes.  She begins to weep at Jesus’ feet.  She begins to anoint his feet with ointment.  She begins to wash his dirty feet with her hair, and kiss his feet.  Here is an incredible example of humble gratitude toward God.

Do we remember our past sins?  Can we see our continued failures to follow the Lord?  Are we still amazed at his mercy and love and grace in our lives?

Everything we have talked about this week in past posts – humble submission, humble worship, humble service, and humble giving will quickly become a chore, a duty, a struggle – unless it is motivated by a humble gratitude to God for all that he has done for sinners like us.

What motivates us?  Why do we do what we do?  Are we trying to earn God’s favor?  Earn our way into heaven?  Trying to impress God?  Impress others?  All of this is so much foolishness and will wear us out in the trying.

Jesus died for our sins.  He loves us in spite of our rebellion.  In humble gratitude may we give ourselves to God…like this sinful woman did.

(Luke 7:36-50)

Humble Giving

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility1 Comment

We often think of the 12 disciples when we think of those who followed Jesus, but he had many other followers – including many women.  These women not only followed Jesus, but they provided for him and his ministry from their own means.  They give us an example of humble giving to God.

Are we following their example?  Are we providing for the ministry of our local church out of our means?  Not occasional token gifts, but true regular giving to the Lord out of what God has graciously given to us?  Have we discovered the joy of giving?

I know of numerous missionaries who are stranded in our country, unable to go to the missions field because they can’t find the support.  Yet we are the wealthiest country in the world!  This is a huge indictment upon the American church.  Are we serving God with our money or ourselves?  Are we bowing down to the Lord or materialism?

How we need to follow the example of these dear women.  How quickly we could send out these missionaries if all of God’s people regularly and joyfully gave back to God a portion of what he has given to them.  Not a meager portion.  But a generous portion for his work and his glory.  Father, grant that we would humbly give to you.

(Luke 8:1-3)

Humble Service

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick when Jesus came to visit, but not for long.  Jesus healed her, and immediately she arose and began to serve.  To serve.  What an incredible example of humble service to God.  Jesus gave her health, and she served him.  Even so God has given each of us whatever level of health we have so that we might serve him.  That is the reason we exist – to serve him and in doing so bring him glory.  Are we using the health God gives us to serve him?

Serving God can take many forms, but most often it comes in the form of serving people.  Simon’s mother-in-law served God by serving not only Jesus but also the disciples.  Even so, we can serve God by serving people.  We can serve God as we serve our families.  We can serve God as we serve our employers (see Colossians 3:23-24).  We can serve God as we serve our church family.  We can serve God as we serve the poor and needy.  We can serve God as we serve our neighbors, our friends, and the list goes on.

But do we see our service to people as service to God?  Do we offer up our service to people as service to God?  How do we approach serving?  What is our attitude?

And are we using the health God has given us to serve God by serving people?  Or are we too busy serving ourselves?

Simon’s mother-in-law gives us a good example of humble service to God.  May God’s Spirit help us to follow her godly example.

(Luke 4:38-39)

Humble Worship

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

There was a lady named Anna.  She had been a widow for many years.  She did not depart from the temple, but worshiped God with prayer and fasting night and day.  Night and day.  24/7.  Continuously.  Constantly.  This speaks volumes about her heart…and ours.  How many of us can see ourselves doing this?  Her heart must have been ablaze with love and adoration toward God to sustain this constant humble worship.

Do we approach each day as an opportunity to worship God? To spend time with God in praise and prayer?  As we awake?  On the road?  In our spare moments?  As we go to sleep?  Even in the midst of many tasks, we can praise God and pray – do we?  Most of us can’t focus exclusively on worship like Anna did – we have families and jobs.  Yet even those activities can be offered up to God as worship – honoring him, serving him.

Are you ready to offer humble worship to God today?

(Luke 2:36-38)

Humble Submission

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

One day an angel visited Mary with incredible news.  She was going to be the mother of the Messiah.  She would bear the one whose coming was foretold throughout the Old Testament.  What a privilege!  But she is confused.  She isn’t married.  How can she bear a child?  The angel tells her it will be through the Holy Spirit.  It will be a miraculous, supernatural birth.

Mary’s life suddenly becomes very complicated.  She was going to have a child outside of marriage in a culture that firmly held to God’s law?  What would her fiance Joseph think?  And while a great privilege to bear the Messiah – what an incredible responsibility to raise such a child.

But her response speaks volumes about the character of this young woman.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  She is God’s servant.  She will humbly do what God says.  She gives us an incredible example of humble submission to God. She will submit to his word.

When we come to God’s Word, do we come with the attitude: “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”?  Do we approach the Word ready to humbly submit to his authority?  To do whatever he commands?  To believe whatever he says?  To follow wherever he leads?  No matter what?  No matter how hard?  No matter whether we like it or not?  No matter what others think or say?  Do we come to the Word, ready to humbly submit to God?

The answers to these questions will have serious ramifications for our lives.  As we approach God’s Word today, this week, are we ready to humbly submit to his Word?

(Luke 1:26-38)

Examples of Grace 11

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Ruth is short, but gives some great examples of grace.

Ruth is a foreigner, apart from the people of Israel, apart from God.  Yet God graciously makes her part of his people, even including her as an ancestor of Jesus. She finds refuge in God.  In the same way, Peter tells us once we were not among God’s people, but now we are God’s people (2:9-10).  In Christ we have a relationship with God.  Ruth didn’t deserve it; neither do we.  But God made us his people and drew us to himself – that’s grace.

There is also the picture of the kinsman redeemer.  Boaz is a kinsman redeemer for Ruth – marrying her and providing for her.  Jesus is our kinsman redeemer – we are the bride of Christ, and he provides for us not only our daily needs but salvation as well.  Again, we don’t deserve this – it’s all grace.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points1 Comment

The best around the web this week that I found deals with spiritual disciplines – habits that help us grow in love for God and people, and indeed that are expressions of our love for God and people.

Coram Deo reminds us of the need to keep it simple, coming back to the basic disciplines of life.  Chris Brauns calls us to consistent prayer with a quote from Bryan Chappell.  He Is My Delight gives a great example for compassion in outreach.

Examples of Grace 10

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Judges gives us a repeated example of grace.  The people rebel against God, and so God sends judgment.  Finally, the people call out for help.  God could have let them continue to suffer the results of their sin.  He could have let the enemy continue to dominate them.  Instead, God shows his grace.  He raises up judges through whom he rescues his people.  God sends deliverance.  Likewise we too have rebelled against God and deserve only judgment.  But if we cry out to him, God will send us deliverance.  He has raised up Jesus to rescue us from our sin and the devil.  We don’t deserve it, but God sends his grace.

Examples of Grace 09

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Joshua continues to show forth the grace of God.

God showed his grace to Joshua by promising that he would be with Joshua wherever he went.  God would not leave him or forsake him.    This indeed is grace, and we know that it is true for us as well.  Jesus promised to be with us always to the end of the age.  So whatever we face, we need not fear or be dismayed.  We can be strong and courageous for God is with us!

God also showed his grace to Rahab.  As one of the Canaanites, she was to be wiped out, but God showed her grace, sparing her life.  She even is found in the genealogy of David and Jesus.  We too deserve only judgment, but God has poured out his grace upon us through Jesus, making us part of his family.

God showed his grace to Israel by bringing them into the Promised Land.  And he will one day show his grace to us by bringing us to a new Promised Land – the new heaven and earth where there will be no more suffering, pain, sin, or death.  In Jesus, truly we have been given grace upon grace.

Examples of Grace 08

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

Deuteronomy is Moses’ review of Israel’s history and God’s commands for the generation about to enter the Promised Land.  In this book, there are some wonderful examples of grace.

God is a great God who is near to Israel and hears them when they call upon him (4:7).  In the same way, God is near to us today.  By his Spirit, he is present with us always.  No matter what we face, God is with us.  And he hears us when we pray.  He is not to busy to listen to our cares.  And as a great God he has the power to answer our prayers.  Yet as sinners we do not deserve his presence or his listening ear.  That he gives us both is all grace.

God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt (5:6).  In the same way, God has delivered us from slavery to sin.  Once we were in bondage to sin, but now we are free to live for Christ.  Again we did not deserve this, but he has poured out his grace upon us.

God chose Israel to be his treasured possession – not because they were great, but simply because God chose to love them (7:6-8).  They were not lovable (indeed they were repeatedly rebellious), but God chose to love them.  In the same way, while we were still sinners, God loved us, and saved us, and chose us as his treasured people (Romans 5:8, I Peter 2:9-10).  Ponder what it means to be chosen as God’s treasured people!  Grace.

God promised the people that another prophet like Moses would come (18:15-19).  And so he has come – our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed to us the way of God.  Where would we be without Christ?  Lost forever.  But he did come – and that is grace.

Finally, God gave the people good things for them to enjoy (26:11).  And so he showers good things upon us to enjoy.  That is grace.

And how should we respond?  “…worship before the Lord your God.  And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you…” (26:10-11).  As we ponder God’s amazing grace, let us rejoice and worship the Lord today!