“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14 v7-11
Do not seek the highest recognition and in time what is purposed will come, and without shame. Our house, the Lords house, neither is a place of competition to reach above another. Our world, our culture, implicates a strong passion to be better than others through competition, through job recognition, through political recognition, and almost every other aspect of society. One strives to be better than the other in every part, and then finds that another soon is put in their place. Thus the cycle continues with wrongful jealousy and conflict.
To do the work, and advance as the Lord has given is an awesome thing. People develop trust and confidence in the Lords way and testimony, true testimony is given. In the hour of true need, others find refuge in this.
and the word continues…
“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18 v9-14
Shall we continue in sin? No Will we not have faults? Yes …and there’s more…
Lord, I study your standards, your precepts line by line. We search your word and find assurance in eternal life only in you. As righteousness is woven thread by thread in us of you, it is not of us but of you. I thank you, that you can in us build a society and a culture with hope that comes from you. Simply put, “be merciful to me a sinner”. Amen
February 11
Threecrosses 