Wednesday... We love to be praised, don't we?

But did you know that praise is a test?

Proverbs 27:21 (AMP) says, "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], and each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud]."

Yes, praise is a test. And we don't like tests but we need to see that they are necessary for our growth. They tell us what we need to work on. And for sure, pride is something we need to work on, isn't it?

Now the wisdom of God in sending his son to this earth as an example was great. The human part of Jesus was tested. The CEV says 27:21 this way, "Gold and silver are tested in a red-hot furnace," and Jesus was definitely tested in the fire. He was always being tested. There was always someone in the crowd that was ready to tear what he said apart.

Do you find that true in your life? Well it was true in Jesus' life. He was always being tested and he handled it, didn't he? He showed us that it is necessary in our growth. We too need to be refined by things not always going the way we want them to go.

Now the last part of the verse in the CEV says, "but we are tested by praise." and that was also true of Jesus.

Jesus said in John 7:18 (NLT), "Those who speak for themselves want glory for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies." Praise shows who we are doing what we are doing for. Pride shows it's for us and humility shows it's for God. Yes, praise is a test. It really is.

Proverbs 27:21 in the NLT says, "Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised." Just a reminder, we are doing what we are doing for God and his glory. And praise is a test. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Comments

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Thursday... Maybe we need this word today.

Psalm 57:1b (NIRV), "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Thursday... Maybe we need this word today. There are words in life that give us confidence no matter what we are facing. Now we have to believe them in order for them to have an impact. David wrote Psalm 57 while he was in a cave hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him and he says in the last part of verse 1, "There I will stay." It was a safe place and Saul didn't know that he was there. But he doesn't stop there. With confidence he said, "There I will stay until." And until is definitely a word of faith and confidence. "There I will stay until the danger is gone." Do we need that today? Let me give you the whole verse. In verse 1 David says, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." And that is a great place to start in times of trouble. Maybe that is what we need to pray today, "Have mercy on me, God. Have mercy on me." It is so great to have someone...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Today's Beginning

Search This Blog