MONDAY 17TH JULY 2017
TOPIC: BOAST IN THE LORD JESUS
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me…”
If you’ve been blessed with success, read these words from Paul and take them to heart: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10). From the standpoint of natural inclination humans are prone to boast in themselves. We make comments like; I worked hard for this. Don’t I deserve a little credit?. Yes, you do; the Bible says, ‘Give honour and respect to all those to whom it is due’ (Rom 13:7). Amazingly, praise by its very nature can be intoxicating. The human body is a remarkable piece of chemistry; just pat a man or woman on the back – and their head starts to swell! Someone said ‘Praise is like perfume; if you consume it, it’ll kill you!’ That’s why Paul gives us this timely reminder: ‘Isn’t everything you have and everything you are a sheer gift from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing?’ (1 Cor 4:7).
One day King Nebuchadnezzar’s head got too big for his hat, and he boasted, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built’ (Dan 4:30). God interrupted his proud moment and stripped him of his kingdom, and he ended up losing his mind and living like a wild beast. Only when he repented and acknowledged that God was the creator and ruler over everything, did God restore his sanity and his kingdom. Corrected, humbled, and enlightened, he knelt down and prayed, ‘I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven, and my sanity was restored’ (v. 34). Boasting is a form of insanity if not checked. (Prov. 27:2, 18;2). Avoid it be sensitive by the Spirit to always give God HIS DUE – Glory and Praise. Study 1 Cor. 10:31.
MEDITATION: Col 1:12,2 Tim 1:9
BIBLE STUDY
Josh. 24, Acts 4, Jer. 13, Matt. 27