True Greatness
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Psalm 35:1-10
Of David.
1 Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
Exodus 17:1-18:6 The Amalekites Defeated
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Matthew 22:41-23:12
Matthew 23 - A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Reflections: We know as we try to move out in kingdom power that there will be opposition. David experienced and learned to trust in the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. As he prays for them to come to his aid he says, “Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.” Psalm 35:1-2
As the Israelites come back to take the promised Land they are greeted by the Amalekites who come to attack them. Fresh out of his confrontation Moses knows in who he must trust to defeat them. As he holds up his staff the Amalekites are defeated but when he lowers his hands they start losing. A sign for the Israelites who was really in charge. God couldn’t make it any clearer than that.
But as time when on the leadership began to trust less in the Lord and it became more about vanity and thinking more highly of themselves than they ought. Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders who loved to wax eloquently about what others should do, but didn’t practice what they preached. Jesus said make sure and do what they teach, but don’t imitate the way they live. They also got caught up in titles and loved to be called Rabbi or Teacher. Jesus told the disciples you have but one Rabbi and Teacher and Father in heaven and remember who they are. If the disciples wanted to be great Jesus taught them that the way to greatness was in serving others. He would show the supreme example of this soon as he goes to the cross.
Does your walk with Christ match your words? Does what you teach and profess match the way you live? As you serve others humbly remember that this is the road to true greatness in Jesus’ eyes.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1
Christ says, "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Grant us, this day, dear Lord, the assurance that you are a constant companion. We live in the hope that you will grant us our every need instead of our every selfish want. Amen.
Psalm 35:1-10
Of David.
1 Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD
and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, LORD?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
Exodus 17:1-18:6 The Amalekites Defeated
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Matthew 22:41-23:12
Matthew 23 - A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Reflections: We know as we try to move out in kingdom power that there will be opposition. David experienced and learned to trust in the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. As he prays for them to come to his aid he says, “Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.” Psalm 35:1-2
As the Israelites come back to take the promised Land they are greeted by the Amalekites who come to attack them. Fresh out of his confrontation Moses knows in who he must trust to defeat them. As he holds up his staff the Amalekites are defeated but when he lowers his hands they start losing. A sign for the Israelites who was really in charge. God couldn’t make it any clearer than that.
But as time when on the leadership began to trust less in the Lord and it became more about vanity and thinking more highly of themselves than they ought. Jesus confronted the Jewish leaders who loved to wax eloquently about what others should do, but didn’t practice what they preached. Jesus said make sure and do what they teach, but don’t imitate the way they live. They also got caught up in titles and loved to be called Rabbi or Teacher. Jesus told the disciples you have but one Rabbi and Teacher and Father in heaven and remember who they are. If the disciples wanted to be great Jesus taught them that the way to greatness was in serving others. He would show the supreme example of this soon as he goes to the cross.
Does your walk with Christ match your words? Does what you teach and profess match the way you live? As you serve others humbly remember that this is the road to true greatness in Jesus’ eyes.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1
Christ says, "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Grant us, this day, dear Lord, the assurance that you are a constant companion. We live in the hope that you will grant us our every need instead of our every selfish want. Amen.
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