Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 5
Monday


WHO GET'S
THE CREDIT?

READ:
Jeremiah 9:23-26
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Chris Langan has an IQ higher than Albert Einstein's. Moustafa Ismail has 31-inch biceps and can lift 600 pounds. Bill Gates is estimated to be worth billions. Those who have extraordinary abilities or possessions might be tempted to think more highly of themselves than they should. But we don't have to be wildly smart, strong, or wealthy to want to take credit for our achievements. Any size of accomplishment carries with it this question: Who will get the credit?

During a time of judgment, God spoke to the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah. He said: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches" (Jer. 9:23). Rather, "Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me" (v.24). God wanted His people to prize Him and His excellence above anything else.

If we allow praise to inflate our self-image, we're forgetting that "every good gift...comes down from the Father" (James 1:17). It's better to give God the glory__not only because it protects our hearts from pride but also because He rightfully deserves it. He is God, the One "who does great things....marvelous things without number" (Job 5:9). __Jennifer Benson Schuldt

```````````````Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;```````````````````
```````````````Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard;`````````````````
````````````````Not I, but Christ, in every look and action;````````````````````
`````````````Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word. __Whiddington````````
_________________________________________________________________________________________
We were created to give God the glory

**********************Today's Bible Reading __ Jeremiah 9:23-26**********************

23 Thus says the LORD:
"Let not the wise man
glory in his wisdom, let not
the mighty man glory in his
might, nor let the rich man
glory in his riches; 24 but let
him who glories glory in
this, that he understands
and knows Me, that I am
the LORD, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment,
and righteousness in the
earth. For in these I
delight," says the LORD.

25 "Behold, the days are
coming," says the LORD,
"that I will punish all who
are circumcised with the
uncircumcised__ 26 Egypt,
Judah, Edom, the people of
Ammon, Moab, and all
who are in the farthest
corners, who dwell in the
wilderness. For all these
nations are uncircumcised,
and all the house of Israel
are uncircumcised in the
heart."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Circumcision was the external sign that the Israelites were God's
covenantal people (Gen. 17:10-14). But circumcision was not
exclusive to them, for it was widely practiced in the ancient world,
including among the Egyptian and Canaanite peoples (Jer. 9:26).
Although the Jews knew it was a symbol of their covenant with God,
few, if any, understood the need for a spiritual operation on the
heart (Deut. 10:16); Jer. 4:4); Acts 7:51). A humble and obedient heart
was what God wanted from His people (Lev. 26:4); Deut. 30:6; Jer.
9:24; Rom 2:29). God warned that He would punish all those who
are circumcised in body but not in spirit (Jer. 9:25).