Month: August 2022

August 8th – Proverbs 31:26

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Proverbs 31:26

When asked to describe true beauty, author Mandy Hale wrote, “There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” That’s who the Proverbs 31 woman is. Clothed in strength and dignity, her heart is completely surrendered to God. And from thankfulness for all of God’s blessings, sprouts a character worthy of her family’s praise. The words she speaks are useful for others to hear. They edify, encourage, and counsel, while sharing the teachings of the Lord. Her beauty comes from humility, kindness, and wisdom. She is faithful and good, with the glory of the Lord radiating through her. And the godly qualities she exhibits shine brightly and more brilliantly than the finest diamond! No wonder her family cries out, “Her worth is far above jewels!” (Prov. 31:10)

August 7th – 1 John 3:1

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1 John 3:1

God didn’t hold back His goodness waiting for Saul, the persecutor of Jews, to become Paul, the apostle of Christ. Instead He showed grace, love, and kindness to Saul while he was knee deep in his wretchedness. Because God doesn’t want us waiting to come to Him until we’re “all cleaned up”, and ready to go. He wants us to come to Him as we are, dirty, broken, and hurting. To leave the cleaning up to Him. For He showers us with His Spirit who washes us anew, working to mold us into the image of Christ. The truth is, in our own wretchedness we could never get our filthy rags clean enough to stand before Almighty God. So in His unmerited kindness and love, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ. Through whose shed blood we can be transformed from a Paul to a Saul, and most wonderful of all, be called children of God.

August 6th – 2 Chronicles 10:14

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2 Chronicles 10:14 

After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam traveled to Shechem to meet with Israel and be crowned king. The people took the change of power as an opportunity to plead for kindness and mercy from their new ruler. In return for lower work loads and taxes, they would give to Rehoboam their loyalty and servitude. But the king, after listening to bad advice, sent back an answer not of grace and mercy, but of threats and violence. And the result? The people killed the new taskmaster. A rebellion arose, the kingdom of Israel was split in two, and Rehoboam fled for his life. Our decisions and actions can have long lasting and tragic consequences. Had Rehoboam chosen kindness, not only would he have glorified God, but brought peace throughout the land.

Zechariah 7:10

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Zechariah 7:10

When Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, (Matt. 5:39) He knows what He’s asking is hard. Because when we’ve been hurt, betrayed, and disillusioned, our first response is to retaliate. But if Jesus had that attitude, humanity would never have been saved. The Lord had command of over twelve legions of angels at His disposal. At anytime Christ could have walked away from the Cross, and taken revenge against those who wronged Him. Yet instead He responded with unmerited love and kindness, sacrificing Himself for all. In our own strength showing kindness to those who deserve it the least is impossible. But in God’s strength, we can do all things; including loving our enemies. Because we too were once enemies of God. But in His great love, He didn’t give us what we deserved. Instead He gave us kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and everlasting life.

August 4th – Philippians 2:3

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Philippians 2:3

I once heard humility described as not thinking less of yourself, but rather thinking of yourself less. In his writings, the apostle Paul stressed the importance of humility in the Christian walk. As exampled by Jesus, humility and kindness go hand in hand. And if we want to mimic our Lord, we can’t have overinflated egos that leave no room for the needs of others. Jesus lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a humiliating, excruciatingly painful death nailed to a Cross. He willingly became our substitute for sin, paying the debt we owed. All in accordance to the will of God and out of His love and kindness for mankind. We are Christ’s ambassadors on earth. And although we’ll never be able to repay His wonderful gift of salvation, making sure our actions reflect His humility and kindness is a great place to start!

August 3rd – Proverbs 11:17

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Proverbs 11:17

I love the quote, “Niceness is overrated. Be kind.” Have you ever thought about the difference between the two? A nice person asks are you hungry? But a kind person will bring you food without needing to be asked. Because at the root of kindness is a heart of Christ. One that wants the best for another. While being nice stems from a fleshly heart yearning to be liked. And sadly, often times Christians are nice, not kind. Because being kind costs us. It means going out of our way, setting ourself aside, to do something for someone else. Throughout the Bible we see how God both delights in and rewards sacrificial giving. And as Solomon tells us, the kind person benefits themselves. Because we reap what we sow. And by sowing the seeds of kindness, not only are we storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, but guaranteeing a bountiful crop that blesses others.

August 2nd – 2 Samuel 9:3

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2 Samuel 9:3

After waiting over 15 years to become king, David finally had it all. The power, the riches, and the kingdom. And you’d think he’d spend his time basking in his own glory. Yet instead, one of his first concerns was showing kindness to the heirs of his enemy. In reality, David owed Saul nothing. And who would blame him for wanting revenge after all Saul put David through? Besides, no one would know any different. Because the only living heir was a cripple boy named Mephibosheth. He was the son of David’s best friend Jonathan, whose existence had  been hidden from the world. But even if no one else ever knew of David’s actions, God would. And so out of the kindness shown to him by the Lord and his love for Jonathon, David restored to Mephibosheth Saul’s riches and a gave him a place of honor at David’s table. Nothing is hidden from the Lord. And being kind for the benefit of His eyes alone is the sweetest kindness of all.

August 1st – Ruth 2:21

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Ruth 2:21

Pastor John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” As an attribute of God, kindness is an important theme throughout the Bible. And perfectly exampled by Boaz, a wealthy man from Bethlehem. God had been good to Boaz, blessing him with much. So when he saw the less fortunate Ruth, he allowed her to glean in his fields. And not stopping there, he ordered his men to leave extra for her to glean, gave her food, and offered her protection. Boaz did all of this out of obedience and thankfulness for the kindness God show him. A kindness He shows daily to us as well. One we could never deserve, yet freely given by God just the same. So today won’t you join in me being a Boaz? And reach out to someone in kindness for kindness, and God’s sake!