Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 Search Archive Print This Article Healthy on the inside Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Matthew 6:17-18 Jesus says,"When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you." Yesterday I sported a red-white-blue sticker on my green shirt that called out, "I voted!" Good old me. Today I could but probably won't, rub my forehead with ashes. "I'm fasting!"� The idea is that my example will inspire others. "How about you?"� The other side of my example, though, reeks of self-righteousness. The only reason I'd go through all the trouble of being self-righteous is to get attention, of course. Get some attention or at least notoriety so I can feel a little better about myself. My Sunday School teacher told me, "God doesn't make any junk!"� And I passed that aphorism on to kids I've taught too. In fact, God really loves it when I disregard attention from anyone else but him. He must know how quickly I move my focus from him to myself, then how dependent I become on the praise of others, and finally how I'll spend all my prayer time dwelling on problems and forget to praise him. What a waste. So Jesus tells me to show myself only to my Father, who is hidden too. Back room blessings ... without the cigar smoke, without the compromises ... that's God's promise. Thanks, Lord, for your encouragement, for taking pride in me, for loving me and loving me. How could I need anything else? "; Add      Edit    Delete