Aside | Formats | Daily Encouragement

“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.” (Proverbs 27:2)

As the saying goes: “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”

Working faithfully while waiting to be acknowledged is, sometimes, very difficult. Self-promotion is nothing new. People have been burnishing their image, publishing their credentials, and boasting about their strengths since the beginning of time.

However, the wisdom of God encourages us to let our praise come from the mouth of others; from the lips of those who have no hidden interest. A few words of praise from such people is worth more than thousands of words of self-promotion.

Choose the narrow path. It is worth the solitude, the work, and the wait. – Luther

Tagged humility, self-promotion, the book of Proverbs, the narrow path, the praise of others

April 26

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Uncategorized Aside

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4, NIV)

Today’s reading from the psalms was written by David.

He was a pretty accomplished man: Published poet, renowned musician and composer, heralded warrior, combat hero, king. Instead of looking at his noteworthy accomplishments, David looked up to the heavens — the same heavens we see today — and remembered his lowly place in the universe.

We, too, can benefit from a gaze toward the night sky. Hopefully, we will not only sense our cosmic insignificance; but also our remarkable significance to the Creator of it all.

What is mankind that God is mindful of us? Who are we that God would care for us? Ponder these questions today — and rejoice that the Creator of the moon and the stars loves us, and desires our fellowship. – Luther