Bible League: Living His Word But "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD." For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.If we are members of the church of Jesus Christ, if we have roles to play in the church and the kingdom of God, and if we achieve some success in these endeavors, then to whom should we give the glory? And, since the word translated as "glory" in our verse for today literally means "boast," who should we boast about? The answer, of course, is the LORD. It is the LORD who makes all this possible and it is the LORD who should be given the credit. On occasion, the Apostle Paul would boast about the things that he accomplished in the church (II Corinthians 11:16; II Corinthians 12:5). He did this, however, not to lift himself up in the eyes of church members, but to keep them from being led astray by certain false apostles that had infiltrated the church. Further, he never made any claim that what he accomplished was done on his own apart from the LORD. Indeed, he maintained that God's power was made manifest despite his weaknesses (II Corinthians 12:7-10). In order to bolster his teaching on this, Paul quotes the prophet Jeremiah: "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Anyone who gratuitously commends or boasts about himself is not approved by God. A person who does that is fundamentally mistaken about our place in the world. We are not independent agents who deserve all the credit for whatever we accomplish in life. We are mere "earthen vessels" that God uses in order to make His power and majesty known (II Corinthians 4:7-12). Further, it is whom the LORD commends that is approved by Him. The LORD delights in those who understand Him and know what He does in the earth. The LORD delights in the humble who give Him the credit. They are the ones that He approves of and they are the ones that He commends. The LORD likes to use the humble to accomplish His purposes in the earth because He knows that they will give credit where credit is due. There is no need to boast about yourself and what you have accomplished. If you glory in the LORD and boast about Him, then He will commend you and approve of you in the eyes of the world. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEcclesiastes 10, 11, 12 Ecclesiastes 10 -- So does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 11 -- Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 12 -- Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 2 Corinthians 11 -- Paul Defends His Apostleship; Paul's Sufferings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.Insight Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: The home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs—whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance—are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Challenge Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just because you are too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the evening withhold not thy hand.In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labor, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labor. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God. The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood's vigor, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a fourpence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work; how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom; therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. John 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 1 Corinthians 1:26,27 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; • but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. 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