The wise are cautious and avoid danger;
fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. Proverbs 14:16
Avoid danger. Look around you and be
cautious. Be careful about being too self-confident. Jesus told a story about two men praying at the Temple—one was a
Pharisee with great self-righteous confidence, the other a tax collector, who
considered himself a sinner. The Pharisee prayed about how good he was and how
horrible the tax collector was. Then Jesus told how the tax collector repented
and confessed that he was a sinner. Jesus concluded the story with…I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee,
returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be
humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 18:14. The
tax collector was wise in his humble view of himself, whereas the Pharisee was
foolish in his inflated self-righteousness.
Paul and Timothy wrote to the people in the
church at Corinth with this message about not depending on their own wisdom. We can say with confidence and a clear
conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all
our dealings. We have depended on God's grace, not on our own human wisdom.
That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward
you. 2 Corinthians 1:12. That way of living—holiness—is sure to please God.
That is what my goal in life is…to live in a way that pleases God. By serving
Him, I am serving others, too. By serving others, I am serving Him. Not in a
reckless way—but in a way that has purpose. Humble, cautious and confident in
God.
It was on this day…the Thursday of Holy Week…at
the beginning of the Passover, Jesus had His last meal with His disciples in an
upper room of the home of one of His followers. As they gathered around the
table together Jesus told them of the sacrifice that He was going to make. During
that meal He gave them bread and wine and asked them to remember Him. See Luke
22:7-20. When we take the Sacrament of Communion, we honor Christ and what He
did for us. He was the sacrificial lamb of the Passover. He willing gave His
life for our sin. One day we, as believers, will humbly stand before Him as He intercedes
for us with the Heavenly Father. Christ has washed us white as snow—purified us
so that we can stand in the Father’s presence.
Will you be among the believers standing
with Christ in Heaven?
Prayer
~ Jesus, my Lord and Savior, even now I humbly stand before You—praising You for
the sacrifice You made. Thank You for the wisdom that You have graciously given
me that I can be cautious and avoid dangers that so often come upon us humans
as we go through life. Fill my life with holiness so that I may honor You in
all that I think, say and do.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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