Daily Bible Study

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Day 303 (Proverbs 30:10-14) Do not malign a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. People believe the past was better than the present. It was a simpler way of life. Yet people haven’t changed. Children treated their parents in the same way as they do now. People thought they were better than their peers. When they spoke, their words were weapons used to destroy instead of encourage. Nothing has changed. Solomon showed that people were the same no matter when they lived. There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) That which was is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing changes. As Christians, you see the same attitude among the people in your church. People lift themselves up because they know more Bible verses, can sing well, do more, are better educated in the Bible, and serve in more offices in the church. How does that make you feel? It makes you feel like you have no place or purpose in the body of Christ. Then there are those who think they can do anything they want and treat people however they want and still receive God’s blessings. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! Sound familiar? You find this behavior in the church as well as in the world. What did Paul tell the people? (Philippians 3:3-11) For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul could have easily set himself above everyone else, but he didn’t. He humbled himself and made himself obedient to Christ. Where Solomon showed that people are the same from one generation to the next, Paul showed you can change when you make Jesus Christ first in your life and give Him the honor He deserves. Then you won’t want to puff yourself up and think of yourself more highly than you should. You have a place in the body of Christ. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. (Romans 12:4-5) For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (NKJV) And don’t let it go to your head. You are no better or worse than anyone else in the body of Christ. What gifts can you bring to your church or assembly? Don’t let anyone who thinks they can run the whole show leave you out. The world won’t change, but you can. (Philippians 2:5-11) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let’s pray: Father, I see the world as Solomon described, running after whatever excites them, uncaring about whom they hurt. Help me to live my life in obedience to You, not putting my ideas and wants ahead of Your plans for me. Not puffing myself up but treating everyone the same. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 13 May 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay