“And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”1 Corinthians 4:6–7

Though he came from very humble beginnings, Abraham Lincoln worked diligently to better his life. Largely a self-taught man, Lincoln found great success as an attorney, particularly in the then-new field of railroad law, before his political rise to prominence. Even after he ascended to the highest office in the land, Lincoln maintained a healthy sense of humility. He was quite fond of the poem by Scottish poet William Knox that included these words:

Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-flitting meteor, a fast-flying cloud,
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave,
He passes from life to his rest in the grave.

Our culture encourages boastful behavior. The bright spotlight of fame seems to follow those who are the most skilled at promoting their latest example of foolish and sinful living. Getting noticed and known has been an end to be pursued, not through accomplishment, but through self-promotion. At the root of this behavior is the sin of pride. Yet nothing we have done or accomplished merits such an attitude. James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). As the provider of everything we use to produce all of our accomplishments, God is the one who deserves all of the praise and honor for everything we do.–Paul Chappell

But grow in grace- – – . 2 Peter 3:18

Never rest satisfied with present attainments. God has much to bestow, and we are capable of receiving, enjoying, and using it to His glory. As the tree planted in a good soil grows both in the root and the branches, so should the Christian; he should be rooted in the love of God, and grow up in conformity to Jesus. If we grow in grace, we shall discover more of our own wretchedness, misery, and weakness; and more of the preciousness, fulness, and glory of Christ. We shall be humble before God, and active before men. We shall trust in Jesus more simply, having no confidence in the flesh. Grace always leads out of self to Jesus, and puts the crown of crowns upon His head. Grace is spiritual beauty; it is the very glory of God. To grow in grace is to grow like Jesus, meek and lowly in heart; active and devoted in life; blameless and harmless as the sons of God. Let us have grace, for God loves to bestow it; let us grow in grace, for God commands it; let us look forward for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the coming of Jesus, for God has promised it. Look for that blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of Jesus.

Though holy deeds and fruits of grace
Are in believers found,
‘Tis Christ’s command, that they increase
And more and more abound;
O Saviour, may I grow in grace,
Till I behold Thee face to face! —James Smith

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.–Jer. 23:24

When we try to hide from God, we are like small children hiding in plain view. We may think we are hidden, but God sees us. The thought of God’s omnipresence can either be comforting or frightening.

It’s easy to forget that God is everywhere. Adam and Eve sought to hide from God. Jonah hoped to sail away from God and His plan. Each of them learned firsthand that it is impossible to evade God. God is unlimited and infinite with respect to time; He is eternal. God is unlimited and unaffected by space; He is present everywhere at the same time.

While God’s presence is frightening when we are trying to continue in sin, His constant presence can be a deep comfort for those who follow Him. His forgiveness, grace, and mercy are as constant as His presence. We no longer need to fear challenges, difficulty, or even death because He is with us and has promised to remain with us. Even if we fight against or ignore God’s glory and presence, we cannot diminish them.–Turning Point

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, “darkness” on the wall of his cell.
C. S. Lewis

“That which I see not teach Thou me – — .” Job 34:32
The day we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior we enroll in the school of Christ. We come to Him, follow after Him, learn of Him, and become like Him. The moment we stop growing “in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18) we are backsliding. We are in trouble and headed for more trouble when we think we know enough. We would do well to consider these words from James Smith:

We were once blind, but now our eyes are open; but still we are absolutely dependent on divine teaching, or we shall never become truly wise. If God teach us, self will become vile; the world vanity; sin bitter; the blood of Christ most precious; His righteousness glorious; His name our only hope; His love our joy; His Spirit our strength; His glory our aim; and “Teach Thou me,” our daily prayer. We see but little of what Christ is in Himself; of what He hath done for His people; of what He possesses, and will give to all who call upon Him in truth; of what He has promised to work in us, and bestow upon us. Beloved, let us daily plead with God to teach us, that we may know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, and be made conformable to His death. Let us beg the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, that we may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Jehovah alone can teach us to profit.

O Jesus, teach my soul to know
Thyself, the Truth, the Life, the Way;
May I in grace and knowledge grow,
Till I arrive in perfect day:
From Satan, self, and sin set free,
And what I know not teach Thou me.

A. W. Tozer wrote, “We of the twentieth century have exactly the same basic needs as the people of the first century. We feel the weight of sin and mortality just as they did. We long for peace and life eternal exactly as they did. We are tortured by fears, stunned by losses, grieved by betrayals, hurt by enmities, made heartsick by failures, scared by threatening death, chased by the devil and frightened cold by the thought of coming judgment. They sat in their simple houses and worried by candlelight. We speed along in sleek, shiny cars and do our worrying between stoplights. But the end result is the same for everybody: slow progress backward toward old age and the grave with no place to hide and no friend to help.

God called His Son’s name Jesus because He knew the human race needed deliverance from sin; and He sent the angels to announce “Peace on earth” because He knew the world needed deliverance from the gnawing tooth of inward fear. And nothing basic has changed. We today need Jesus, and we need Him for the same reasons they needed Him 2,000 years ago. The more things change, the more they remain the same.”