Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 167, 2023: SOAP #4851: Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 40; 1Corinthians 1

SCRIPTURE:  1Corinthians (NIV) 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no-one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

OBSERVATION:  One of the symptoms of pride is boasting.  It is hard for a person full of pride to resist the temptation of talking about themselves and what they have done.  Their words work together to put themselves in a good light and to draw attention to themselves. 

God like to use our foolishness, our weakness, and our lowly position.  When those are not hidden, the wisdom that is expressed must have come from God.  Everybody knows that we do not have that wisdom.  When something great happens, it must have been God; everyone knows that we did not have the strength  or the resources!  It must have been God!   

And when we realize that all we are, and all we have, comes from God who has placed us in Christ Jesus, then we stop boasting about ourselves and begin boasting about our Lord!  

APPLICATION:  The greatest thing in my life—the one thing worthy of boasting—is that I am “in Christ Jesus;” I am a part of His body, the church.  It is truly amazing!  But that is the one thing I could do nothing about.  There is no basis for boasting!  I can only boast in what God has done!  

My goal is to make God look good!  May God be exalted in my conversation. May God be exalted in all I do. 

PRAYER:   Holy Spirit, work in me so that the presence of Jesus can be easily seen in all I say and all I do.  Amen.

Pastor Leon
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