Reading: Matthew 8
My Verse: ". . . they begged him to leave their region" (Matthew 8:34)
What a response to the completely unprecedented and miraculous things Jesus was doing. The establishment became afraid of him, they plead with him to go away!
Jesus was doing such wondrous things!
- he healed a leprous man
- he healed a centurion's servant from afar
- he healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever
- he cast out demons
- he told would be followers to give up everything to follow him
- he calmed great storms at sea
- demons knew him and feared him
And yet after all this he was asked to leave, to go away because instead of worshipping him the church leaders feared him!
It is good to have law, order and systems in place to help us stay on a certain path, in a disciplined way of living. I am reading Brooks "The Road to Character." He speaks of Ida Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower's mother. She emphasized the "importance of practicing small acts of self-control . . ."
He also quoted from psychologist William James treatise called "Habit."
"You want to engrave certain habits so deep that they will become natural and instinctual.
Take advantage of every occasion to practice your habit.
Practice a gratuitous exercise of self-discipline every day.
Ascetism of this sort is like the insurance which a man pays on his house.
The tax does him no good at the time,
and may possibly never bring him a return.
But if the fire does come,
his having paid it will be his salvation from ruin."
But there is also a danger to this. As with the church leaders in the day of Jesus. Their
systems and traditions became their god. They did not even recognize the real thing, Jesus, when he came. Instead they saw him as a threat to their established way of life.
I like that Brooks points out that while it is so important for us to exercise self-discipline we cannot do it on our own. We cannot rely on ourselves as we are flawed. We always need help from outside ourselves. And that help is You, LORD God.
Thank you for reminding me that I must ever keep my eyes on You. Thank you for reminding me that yes, I need to have self-discipline but I cannot go it on my own and should never expect that of myself.
"Be merciful unto me, O Lord:
for I cry unto thee daily.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant:
for unto thee, O Lord,
do I lift up my soul" (Psalm 86:3,4)
Keep me LORD God from sending You away!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: ". . . they begged him to leave their region" (Matthew 8:34)
What a response to the completely unprecedented and miraculous things Jesus was doing. The establishment became afraid of him, they plead with him to go away!
Jesus was doing such wondrous things!
- he healed a leprous man
- he healed a centurion's servant from afar
- he healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever
- he cast out demons
- he told would be followers to give up everything to follow him
- he calmed great storms at sea
- demons knew him and feared him
And yet after all this he was asked to leave, to go away because instead of worshipping him the church leaders feared him!
It is good to have law, order and systems in place to help us stay on a certain path, in a disciplined way of living. I am reading Brooks "The Road to Character." He speaks of Ida Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower's mother. She emphasized the "importance of practicing small acts of self-control . . ."
He also quoted from psychologist William James treatise called "Habit."
"You want to engrave certain habits so deep that they will become natural and instinctual.
Take advantage of every occasion to practice your habit.
Practice a gratuitous exercise of self-discipline every day.
Ascetism of this sort is like the insurance which a man pays on his house.
The tax does him no good at the time,
and may possibly never bring him a return.
But if the fire does come,
his having paid it will be his salvation from ruin."
But there is also a danger to this. As with the church leaders in the day of Jesus. Their
systems and traditions became their god. They did not even recognize the real thing, Jesus, when he came. Instead they saw him as a threat to their established way of life.
I like that Brooks points out that while it is so important for us to exercise self-discipline we cannot do it on our own. We cannot rely on ourselves as we are flawed. We always need help from outside ourselves. And that help is You, LORD God.
Thank you for reminding me that I must ever keep my eyes on You. Thank you for reminding me that yes, I need to have self-discipline but I cannot go it on my own and should never expect that of myself.
"Be merciful unto me, O Lord:
for I cry unto thee daily.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant:
for unto thee, O Lord,
do I lift up my soul" (Psalm 86:3,4)
Keep me LORD God from sending You away!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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