Psalm 67:1-2 May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation among all nations.

This principle is stated many times throughout the Bible, that God’s gracious blessings, specifically to the physical descendants of Abraham, are to let all mankind know of Him and His plans for us all. However, in practical terms, we have been quick to fall into elitist conceit, thinking that because God blesses us, we are better than all others. Here that applies to the Jews, but I have seen many Christians fall into the same trap. It is often the starting point for the stupidity of White Supremacy, which I have seen even in missionaries, who certainly know better. I am reminded of the statement attributed to Einstein: “There are two things that are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I’m not so sure about the universe.” We are quick to “grade” people, placing some higher and some lower, most often so as to place ourselves in the higher category to feel good about ourselves. How utterly foolish! It is our Creator who decides our value. As Paul said, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4) We aren’t to complain about how God made us, but rather seek to fulfill His purposes for us. A plane ceramic dish that does its job perfectly is ultimately more valuable than one with ornaments and designs that interfere with its function. We are to be grateful for how God has blessed us, but we are to use those blessings as tools to draw others to Him, and not as “merit badges” to elevate us above others.

This has been an issue for me all my life, because I feel I have been incredibly blessed, by genetics, environment, and any number of other things. That has led to pride, even conceit, and nothing is more stupid than that. I have had to learn, sometimes the hard way, that it is all grace, and grace is unmerited favor. Even today, I am in remarkably good health for my age, but that doesn’t make me “better” than my wife, who has a list of medical issues. I’m not to preach at people, but rather proclaim the absolutely amazing grace of God, who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. I am never to pass over the necessity of repentance, which is just as acute for me as for any hardened criminal, but I am to state unapologetically that the cross of Christ was sufficient to cover all sin, past, present, and future. God has been and continues to be incredibly good to me, and I am to give Him full credit at every turn, so that others too may praise Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all Your blessings of yesterday, and for all You have planned for today. May those blessings flow through me to bless many others, drawing them to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!