Daily Devotional – Wednesday, March 9, 2022
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is valued by what others say of him.
Proverbs 27:21 (NKJV)
My favourite childhood Aesop Fable was ‘The Fox and The Crow’. The crow, with a piece of cheese in her beak, is resting on the limb of a tree. Meanwhile, a hungry fox is roaming, looking for a bite.
The fox wants the cheese but he knows the crow will not lose her meal willingly. Sly fox opts for the most effective weapon – flattery. He praises the beauty and voice of the crow and asks her to sing. As soon as the bird opens her beak, the cheese falls into the fox’s mouth.
A Man is Valued by the Praise of Others
According to King Solomon, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is valued by what others say of him.” (Proverbs 27:21). Praise (or flattery) refines human character depending on how one deals with it.
I find this verse interesting because First Peter 1:7 identifies trials as the refinery of character, in similar fashion to the process of deriving gold from dirty ore. How then can praise refine character?
How Do We Deal With Praise?
Here is the secret. When people praise us, we react in different ways. We may choose to remain humble and modest, while ascribing glory to God. For example, when we help other people or commit heroic acts, we can choose not to allow commendation to change our character.
On the other hand, praise can make us haughty, overbearing and conceited. We end up thinking we are better than other people are and look down upon them. Pride makes us steal glory and honour from God for what we have accomplished.
The Refining Furnace of Praise and Flattery
Commendation refines our characters because it is challenging to handle flattery and praise. Like the crow, we can lose focus because of adulation and forget that the good we do is because of God. Resisting this urge cultivates godliness in us.
How do you deal with praise and flattery? Do you resist the urge to become proud and to deny God the honour due to him?
Lord Jesus, I ascribe to You all glory and hnour. Help me to go through the refining fire of praise and flattery and come out a better Christian.
May God be Glorified in our praises. However, we look forward to receiving the praise and honour when Christ is revealed.
Not I but Christ. Thank you, Danvas
Dear friend, to support this ministry, please:
1. Comment on this devotional.
2. Share this devotional on social media using the icons provided.
3. Subscribe to my email list by clicking on the green ENVELOPE icon.
4. Click on the ads to help generate income for hosting and sustaining this website.
God bless you.