October 16, 2007
Devo taken from "Josh McDowell’s Youth Devotions"
Bible readings: Isaiah 66:1-2
"This is what the LORD says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place. Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' declares the LORD. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.'" (Isaiah 66:1-2)
Almost this time every year, the major league baseball season comes to an end. By that time, each league (the American League and national league) will have already announced a "most valuable player" for each league.
The very first MVP award was given after the 1911 baseball season. A man named Hugh Chalmers, who owned the Chalmers Motor Company, announced that he would award one of his companies automobiles to one player in each league who "should prove himself as the most important and useful player to his club and to the league at large in port of deportment and value of services rendered." A committee of baseball writers voted, and the first MVP awards were given to Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers (who hit .420 that year) and Frank Schulte of the Chicago Cubs (who hit .300 that year with 21 home runs and 107 runs batted in.)
There have been many MVP’s since then. Some have had high batting averages. Some have hit a lot of home runs. Some have stolen a lot of bases. Some have been pitchers who won a lot of games. But all have been considered the "Most Valuable Player" on their team in that particular year.
Well, if God had a MVP award, you know how you could win it? By being humble. At least that would be one of the requirements. In today’s Bible reading, God says, "This is the one of I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in Spirit, and trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2 NIV). In other words, God really values humility. He thinks humility is terrific.
Of course, God doesn’t give out Most Valuable Person awards; he values all people. But he has announced several Most Valuable Principle awards, and the principle of humility is one of his favorites. That’s why God commands us to be humble; because humility is something he values-even more than a great batting average or a lot of stolen bases.
Prayer: "Lord, I know you value humility; you ‘esteem’ the person who is humble and contrite in spirit. Help me to always be that kind of person towards you and towards others."
5 comments:
After reading that..the first thought that came to my mind was... How many people actually work hard to get into Heaven? how many people still need to realize that just by accepting his salvation that He gave us, that we can gain eternal life?
One could say that if God valued everyone equally.. then noone is special lol.. that way "you christians" cant say that "You are special to God". But people don't realize that God sacrificed his one and only son for us so that he could have a personal relationship with us.
Salvation requires nothing and is Free.
Living a Christian life, requires sacrifice.
-Jon
I kinda like how yesteday's devo lead into this one somewhat. How many of us talk about our strengths/gifts. That our strengths are academics, being physically gifted, music, compassion and faith even, but how many of us can say that we've been blessed with humility??
True.. someone can say, my gift is being a doctor or that God called me to become a pastor, but being humble is a gift we can all obtain. Something that is asked upon all of us as Christians in living a Christian life.
- Brian Yee
I think humility comes from living a life that is rich with the fruits of the spirit, specifically kindess, gentleness and self-control. Humility is a by-product of these things.
I have tremendous respect for people who are humble in all aspects - especially when they can be humble during a heated competition. That is a mark of someone who possesses kindness, gentleness and self-control.
I hope we can all learn to become the type of person God would be pleased with.
- Jono
its hard to achieve absolute humility i believe. how often I want to feel the praise and applause of someone congratulating me on something. but I know I have to point it to God somehow.
I pray that God will help me with this.
-jacky
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