Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 10, 2016
Be happy young man while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart. Ecclesiastes 11:9
Sometimes we are guilty of taking ourselves too seriously. We get caught up in our little world of what we have to do, where we have to go and who we have to please. Joy jettisons from our heart because we are driven by a “have to” attitude. Unfortunately for our health and for those who love us we become consumed by our agenda, our desires, our worries, our ideas, our work, our hobbies and our needs. Sadly, our unmet expectations become joy killers with no heart.
How do you know if you are taking yourselves too seriously? Suddenly others become the object of your fury. They don’t seem to take things seriously enough. You erroneously think, “If they would just do what I want and work as hard as me, both of our worlds would be much better off!” You act like the Lord can’t get by without you, however the reverse is true. You can’t get by without Him. So, shed the world from your shoulders. Perhaps on your next vacation you totally disconnect from technology. No phone or email. Try it. Lighten up and let the Lord work for you.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:6
What is the solution for taking ourselves too seriously? Humility. A humble heart is released from the motivation of being the main attraction. When we walk in humility we are content to be behind the scenes and let others receive the attention. Like Jesus and by His Spirit, we empty ourselves of our reputation and expectations and replace them with His. We let go of our work and we let God work. We learn to take ourselves less seriously and the Lord more seriously.
Therefore, enjoy the peace and contentment that accompanies a non acrimonious approach to life. Seek harmony not hostility. Give instead of take. Laugh at yourself and laugh with others over your quirks. Be yourself. Be still. Know God. Joy comes from being with Jesus. So, draft behind where God is working, instead of striving to get your way. Guard your heart from an overly serious state. Invite Christ’s calmness to relax your countenance and return your smile.
Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Luke 10:21
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the courage to take myself less seriously and You more seriously.
Related Readings: Psalm 19:8, 126:2; Nehemiah 8:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Philemon 1:7
Post/Tweet today: Humility takes itself less seriously and the Lord more seriously. #nottooserious #wisdomhunters
Worship Resource: 6 minute video- Elevation: Grace So Glorious
Today’s reading is taken from Boyd’s newest devotional book Two Minutes in the Bible for Men. Order now!
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision. Learn how to help.
Our free Apple app Our free Android app
© 2016 by Boyd Bailey. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.
Today is the first day of reading with you. Are your readings for men? I see todays reading is from Two Minutes in the Bible for Men, a devotional book by Boyd. I do not want devotions geared towards men.
Thank you,
Annie D.
Dear Annie,
Welcome to the Wisdom Hunter’s family! We are so thankful for you!
We appreciate your question and you may be asking on behalf of other new fellow wisdom hunters.
No, all of the Wisdom Hunter’s devotionals are not just for men. The Wisdom Hunter’s daily devotionals are taken from most of the books Boyd has written in the past, as well as, new devotionals he is writing and has written recently. We are so excited, and so grateful, to have two guest writers in the Wisdom Hunter’s family that periodically write the Wisdom Hunter’s devotionals, too. They are Shana Schutte and Tripp Prince.
Annie, please take a look at our website http://www.wisdomhunters.com to catch up on some past devotionals, look into the Wisdom Hunters Ministry, Boyd Bailey, our bookstore, and our mission. And Annie, please feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions or comments: gwynne@wisdomhunters.com.
Again, we are so thankful you have become a part of our family. We look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
Annie, I almost forgot…We have a prayer team at Wisdom Hunters that will be happy to pray for you, your friends and family if you have any prayer requests. Again, just let me know at my email address.
“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
Philemon 1:4-6
Not sure what version of the Bible you are using. The verse in KJV reads
“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Omission of this second part changes the meaning/emphases of the verse.
Dear Sandra,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us after reading “Not Too Serious”. The translation Boyd Bailey uses in his devotionals is the NIV (New International Version) translation. You were right in that the NIV wording does differ from the KJV and the whole verse was not written in the devotional.
Thank you so much for giving us the KJV of Ecclesiastes 11:9. As much as I use the NIV version, sometimes I love to hear the KJV translation of scripture – somehow it sounds “richer” or maybe “of that time” would be a better way to describe it.
I think you make a valid point about the second half of the verse, although the first part of the verse simply and clearly summarizes what the devotional is focusing on.
There were some great reminders in “Not Too Serious” for all of us.
“A humble heart is released from the motivation of being the main attraction. When we walk in humility, we are content to be behind the scenes and let others receive the attention. Like Jesus and by His Spirit, we empty ourselves of our reputation and expectations and replace them with His.” Gracious, do I hear an Amen?!
Thank you again, Sandra, for bringing that to our attention. We are so grateful for our Wisdom Hunter’s family and their input. We value your comments and look forward to hearing from you again.
May God bless you in this new year.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all of my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue,
you know it completely, O Lord.”
Psalm 139:1-4
Thank you so much for your reply. I know this verse as we discussed it with our children as they were growing up; we discussed that God teaches us to enjoy life and all its God given pleasures, but to always remember that we are also held accountable for any activities that are not holy in God’s eyes.
Thank you so much for all these daily devotionals! I appreciate the time it must take to prepare a message everyday; it is the first thing I read every morning and sets a blessed tone for the rest of the day.
With love in Christ,
Sandra
Dear Sandra,
I thank you! Your previous blog comments encouraged me to dig deeper into Ecclesiastes 11:9 and then, go on to verse 10. I love the fact your family, especially your children, know and live this verse. What a great lesson for all of us, especially the younger folks. (I must confess though, this scripture verse has a tendency to “call out” to me sometimes even at my age!!) Praising God for His Word and the gift it is to all of us.
I will pass your words of encouragement on to Boyd and the rest of the Wisdom Hunter’s team about the daily devotionals. We are so thankful you are blessed by them every morning. We give all the glory to God.
Grateful for the opportunity to get to know you a little more through our conversations.
Your sister in Christ,
Gwynne
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all of my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:3-6