Self-Confidence Abolished
Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?' "
GENESIS 44:4
+
Self-Confidence Abolished
The brothers, who had been treated in such a kindly manner and had been filled with joy, flattered themselves with wonderful rhetoric and congratulated themselves on the success of their plans. . .. They undoubtedly intended to relate at home that they had been affectionately invited by the ruler of the land and had been treated very sumptuously, not at an inn but at the court of the ruler, but that Benjamin above all had been treated with the greatest honor, since his portion was increased fivefold in comparison with the share of the others. . . . But this glorying in their righteousness and wisdom disappears in a brief moment. Therefore whether the days are good or evil, we should learn to fear God in a spirit of such steadfastness and equability that we sing psalms to the Lord in our hearts not only in peaceful and pleasant times but also in times of misery. If fortune is favorable, enjoy it, and be grateful; but if it is adverse, call upon God to remove or mitigate your troubles, yes, to be your one and highest Refuge. For this confidence and glory in the merits of wisdom and righteousness—the confidence with which these brothers boasted of having reached such great honor on the strength of their own virtues—must be mortified and abolished.
GENESIS 44:4
+
Self-Confidence Abolished
The brothers, who had been treated in such a kindly manner and had been filled with joy, flattered themselves with wonderful rhetoric and congratulated themselves on the success of their plans. . .. They undoubtedly intended to relate at home that they had been affectionately invited by the ruler of the land and had been treated very sumptuously, not at an inn but at the court of the ruler, but that Benjamin above all had been treated with the greatest honor, since his portion was increased fivefold in comparison with the share of the others. . . . But this glorying in their righteousness and wisdom disappears in a brief moment. Therefore whether the days are good or evil, we should learn to fear God in a spirit of such steadfastness and equability that we sing psalms to the Lord in our hearts not only in peaceful and pleasant times but also in times of misery. If fortune is favorable, enjoy it, and be grateful; but if it is adverse, call upon God to remove or mitigate your troubles, yes, to be your one and highest Refuge. For this confidence and glory in the merits of wisdom and righteousness—the confidence with which these brothers boasted of having reached such great honor on the strength of their own virtues—must be mortified and abolished.
Posted in Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2026
January
In The GardenBy Your Own LawA Kingdom Not From HereThe King Who Bears Witness to the TruthWhich Jesus Will You Have?Behold the King We MockedBehold the Man, Lifted for YouAuthority from Above, Glory from the CrossBehold Your King, Lifted Up to JudgeThe Place of the SkullIt Is WrittenEvery Promise KeptStabat MaterIt Is FinishedThese Three TestifyA True TestimonyA Quiet Courage at the CrossThe Empty Tomb and the Wounded SaviorSeeing, Believing, and the Linen Left BehindCalled by Name in the GardenDo Not Cling, Go and TellPeace in Wounded HandsThe Wounds That Speak PeaceYou May Have LifeMy Lord and My GodFishingIt Is the LordThey KnewFeed My LambsFollow HimFollowing Jesus, Not Comparing Paths
February
The Testimony That Is EnoughBefore Kings, Before the CrossBefore You Were Born, the Word Was GivenSet Like FlintRemembering First LoveForsaking the FountainBroken Cisterns and the Living CrossAshamed of Our False RescuesForgottenWe Have SinnedLift Up Your EyesLike SisterReturn to the LordThe Gift of ShepherdsOur Only HopeShame That Leads to SalvationCircumcised HeartsBlow the Trumpet in the LandWhen Wisdom FailsThe Storm We Have SummonedThe Sound of the TrumpetWhen Wisdom Becomes FollyThe Earth Shall MournCan You Find One?There Is No DifferenceThe Lord Must InterveneSpeak TruthEnduring Nation
2025
January
Not AshamedIn Every RespectWe Are In His HouseHear His VoiceTodayBut You BelieveRest in ChristRest in FaithRest in Christ’s WordConfidence in Our Great High PriestOur Eternal High PriestCalled by GracePerfect Through SufferingA Little MilkFoundationGod Comes to UsFaith in ChristObtaining the PromiseThe King of PeaceBlessed by the SuperiorA Priest Forever in ChristThe Forever PriestA Better HopeOur Eternal IntercessorOur Perfect High PriestOur Eternal High PriestThe Better Covenant in ChristA New CovenantPromises KeptOnly The High PriestNot the Blood of Goats