I Boast No More

Recently I have been struggling to be obedient to what is right in circumstances that require me to persevere without my needs or wants being satisfied.

Without going into details, it has been a difficult time, with ups and downs, particularly in my mood.

When my mood is at it's worst, I am usually thinking about how I deserve better, how I shouldn't have to miss out on what I want.

When I gain a little perspective I think about my perseverance and draw comfort from knowing that God sees my obedience and commends me for it. What a great job I'm doing, right?

Then when I gain more perspective I consider the suffering that was done on my behalf by my savior Jesus Christ. Jesus did not have his needs met. He did not achieve his maximum potential in career advancement. He was murdered, suffering many pains throughout his life, to accomplish perfect obedience and atonement, for others.

And he chose all of it. The only human who didn't have to die, chose to die. Of him alone can it be said, "he gave his life."

No mortal can keep his life. In the end we may choose the hour of our death but there is no escape from it. Jesus not only chose the hour of his death, but death itself, which had no power over him.

Providentially all of this came home to me in a song (which often happens).

I heard recently an updated version of an Isaac Watts hymn: I Boast No More.

No More My God, I boast no more

Of all the duties I have done

I quit the hopes I held before,

To trust the merits of Thy Son

No more my God

No more my God

No more my God

I boast no more

Now, for the loss I bear his name,

What was my gain I count my loss

My former pride I call my shame

And nail my glory to His cross

Yes, and I must, I will esteem

All things but loss for Jesus' sake

O may my soul be found in Him

And of His righteousness partake

Amen, amen

The best obedience of my hands

Dares not appear before Thy throne

But faith can answer Thy demands

By pleading what my Lord has done.

Caedmon's Call \ I Boast No More

I have been reading this lately: Philippians 3:7-9 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

I boast no more. I lay down the anger of unfulfilled presumption. I regret that I have only one life to live for my Lord.