Daily Devotional For Sunday, February 25, 2024

Well, I pray today is going to be a blessed day for you. We have been in the Book of Proverbs for about a week looking at different topics of the tongue and the heart. Have you ever been around people who love to talk about themselves? They are so egotistical, prideful and boastful that you want to give them a good dose of reality. Look at Proverbs 25:14, “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give” (ESV). What is worse are Christians who boast how mature in the faith they are with Christ. In college, I read books by a Chinese Christian theologian named Watchman Nee. He wrote this:

“Spiritual things are not to be boasted of. One can boast of worldly riches, and the paper money will not fly away unspent nor will the amount magically decrease, but the spiritual riches you boast of vanish with the telling” (Watchman Nee, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 1).

This is why 1 Corinthians 1:31 reminds us of the first kind of right boasting: "So that, as it is written, 

• 1 Corinthians 1:31, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (ESV). 
• And the Bible then reminds through the Apostle Paul of the second kind of right boasting in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. (8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. (9) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (ESV).

In both cases, the boasting is about the Lord Jesus Christ. For the Apostle Paul, even the “thorn in the flesh” that God gave him to keep him humble and dependent on God, was only worth boasting in the sense of how it forced him to boast about the Lord using even his weaknesses for the glory of Jesus Christ. 

When God’s people in the Old Testament started boasting of their own strength, accomplishments and etc. God said this to them through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 9:23-24:

The Lord says, “The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. (24) If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand Me, because My love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please Me. I, the Lord, have spoken” (ESV).

Hearing other people boast, does not typically excite us. It is a big turn off actually. People boast for all kinds of reasons: insecurities, poor self-esteem, wanting attention but worse, pride. Look at what Chuck Swindoll writes:

“Boasting most often occurs when we speak too highly of ourselves or our own accomplishments, but it’s actually possible to boast without speaking a single word. Some luxury automobiles are marketed as status symbols, as are some upscale neighborhoods and certain brands of clothing. God has nothing against people acquiring nice things if the purpose is to enjoy their use. But when someone purchases items to advertise personal success, that person has become guilty of boasting” (i.e., Charles R. Swindoll, Living the Proverbs: Insights for the Daily Grind (p. 90, Kindle Edition).

You know how people can boast without ever saying a word. It is the attitude that says, “Look, I live in a gated community. Look, I drive a BMW or Porsche or Corvette. Look, my kids are at Ive League schools. Look, I live in a beach house.” Or “Look, my house is 3-4 times the size of yours.” Or, “Look the clothes I’m wearing cost me thousands compared to your Walmart cheap threads.” Millionaire Falcom Forbes is credited with this quote: “He with the most toys wins.” I say, “He with the most toys still dies.”I have never seen a U-Haul in a funeral procession. This is why we must remember Proverbs 22:1, “Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold” (NLT).

Look at Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, (18) a mind that thinks up wicked plans, feet that hurry off to do evil, (19) a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friend” (GNT). 

Did you read it slowly and carefully? God HATES pride. He hates it. Some translations use the phrase “haughty eyes” for the word pride. This is the attitude that expresses how some people “look down” on others with and attitude of superiority. Think about this — at the front of this list is pride — “haughty eyes” — this is the #1 thing God hates because it leads to other sins such as murder, lying, prejudice, racism, sexism, rebellion, slander and gossip.  Boasting is the surface action of a much deeper attitude and action — pride. The Bible warns us over and over about pride. Look at Proverbs 16:18, ”Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (ESV). 

Below, I want to share with you true story of a man named Ramon Piaguaje, a Secoya Indian born and raised in the rain forest of Ecuador. He was won to Christ through some Wycliffe Bible Translators:

Ramon Piaguaje, a Secoya Indian born and raised in the rain forest of Ecuador, won the Winsor & Newton Millennium Art Competition, the largest painting competition in the world. His painting "Eternal Amazon" was selected from over 22,000 entries by professionals and amateur artists from 51 countries and was on display at the United Nations this past summer. Ramon, who started drawing as a teenager over 30 years ago, was not introduced to oil painting until 1993 in Quito. The young man who has captured the attention of the art world was first encouraged in his efforts by Orville and Mary Johnson, Wycliffe Bible Translators working in his village.

The Johnsons recognized a God-given ability and had encouraged him to keep drawing. When they left his village in the early seventies, having completed their translation of the New Testament, the belongings they took with them included 30 drawings by Ramon. Since then, Ramon has met the Prince of Wales and the secretary general of the United Nations, and "Eternal Amazon" has been viewed by ambassadors, artists, dignitaries, and members of the press and public from around the world. Ramon is quick to give the Lord credit for the acclaim he has received. "I can't take pride of the gift that I have as an artist, for it is God that has given me this talent, and I want to use it for His glory."

When the elderly missionary couple heard about the exhibit at the United Nations, they decided to surprise the South American artist. They entered the exhibition hall and found Ramon surrounded by many people. As he looked beyond his admiring fans, he saw the Johnsons and began to cry.

They hugged and wept for several moments. In Secoya, Ramon repeated over and over to Orville and Mary, "You are the ones that should be honored, not me…for you came to give us the gospel, and I believe that is why I now can be here” (i.e., see the following link: https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2000/august/12573.html.).

Did you notice who Ramon Piaguaje boasted in here? — the Lord. Look at these Bible verses about boasting:

• James 4:16, “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (ESV).
• 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (ESV).
• 2 Corinthians 11:30, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (ESV).
• Psalm 94:4, “They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast” (ESV).

Questions To Consider

• Would you say that on any given day you boast more about the Lord of about yourself? Why? Would the Lord agree with you on this? Why or why not?
• When you speak of your successes, do you boast about how you used your talents, skills, abilities, education and experiences for this or do you in your sharing give God the credit for your talents, skills, abilities, education and experiences that made it possible?
• When you hear or see someone boasting about themself, does that attract you to them or repel you from them? Why?
• Boasting is not limited exclusively to any one vocation or career. This virus has infected all areas of our society and culture. Where do you see this the most in others?
• Where do you see this most in Christians? Why?
• Who is someone you admire because they always boasts of the Lord’s doing and not theirs? When was the last time you told them this?
• How can you boast in the Lord about your own life and your own weaknesses as the Apostle Paul did?

Scripture To Meditate On: 1 Corinthians 1:9, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (RSV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I live in a very prideful boasting world. People “toot their own horn all the time.” People parade their awards, trophies, certificates, ribbons, grades, diplomas and self all the time for acceptance, attention and recognition. Jesus, I want to boast of You and only You. I want to boast that everything good in my life is by Your hand. Therefore, I can’t take credit for any of it. All the talents, skills, abilities, education, and experiences are by Your hand. Please help me to use them for Your glory and not mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you! Pastor Kelly