God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,Courage to change the thingswhich should be changed,and the Wisdom to distinguishthe one from the other.
Living one day at a time,Enjoying one moment at a time,Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,Taking, as Jesus did,This sinful world as it is,Not as I would have it,Trusting that You will make all things right,If I surrender to Your will,So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.- Reinhold Niebuhr
2 SAMUEL 21-22
JOURNAL
As David neared the end of his life, his thoughts were not consumed with the battles he had won or the throne he had occupied. Instead, his focus sharpened on one thing: faithfulness to God. In his final charge to Solomon, David urged him, "Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways..." (1 Kings 2:2-3, ESV). For David, greatness was never about titles, acclaim, or earthly power. Greatness was about obedience—a daily choice to trust and serve God wholeheartedly, whether in triumph or failure.
Centuries later, Jesus embodied that same heart of greatness. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus faced the greatest test of obedience the world has ever known. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He cried out to the Father, asking if there might be another way (Matthew 26:39). Though He knew the outcome—the resurrection, the redemption of humanity, the coming missionary movements that would sweep across the globe—none of it had yet come to pass. His disciples, the very ones He had poured His life into, were sleeping, unaware of the weight He carried (Mark 14:37-38).
In that dark, lonely garden, greatness was not seen in might or miracles. It was revealed in anguished prayer and complete surrender: "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42, ESV).
At that moment, Jesus saw not just the faces of His followers, but the brokenness of all humanity. He saw our rebellion, our selfishness, our woundedness and rage—and He chose love. Rather than destroy us, He laid Himself down to save us (Romans 5:8).
This is true greatness:
-
It is not content to rest in yesterday’s victories.
-
It is not paralyzed by today’s failures.
-
It is not built on titles or acclaim.
-
It is born in quiet trust, obedience, and sacrificial love.
Both David and Jesus show us that the measure of a life well lived is not success as the world defines it, but faithfulness in the unseen, painful, difficult moments.
Today, whether you stand on a mountaintop or walk through a dark valley, greatness is found not in your circumstances but in your surrender. Trust God in the moment you are given. Choose love over fear. That is the path of true greatness.
As David neared the end of his life, his thoughts were not consumed with the battles he had won or the throne he had occupied. Instead, his focus sharpened on one thing: faithfulness to God. In his final charge to Solomon, David urged him, "Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways..." (1 Kings 2:2-3, ESV). For David, greatness was never about titles, acclaim, or earthly power. Greatness was about obedience—a daily choice to trust and serve God wholeheartedly, whether in triumph or failure.
Centuries later, Jesus embodied that same heart of greatness. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus faced the greatest test of obedience the world has ever known. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He cried out to the Father, asking if there might be another way (Matthew 26:39). Though He knew the outcome—the resurrection, the redemption of humanity, the coming missionary movements that would sweep across the globe—none of it had yet come to pass. His disciples, the very ones He had poured His life into, were sleeping, unaware of the weight He carried (Mark 14:37-38).
In that dark, lonely garden, greatness was not seen in might or miracles. It was revealed in anguished prayer and complete surrender: "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42, ESV).
At that moment, Jesus saw not just the faces of His followers, but the brokenness of all humanity. He saw our rebellion, our selfishness, our woundedness and rage—and He chose love. Rather than destroy us, He laid Himself down to save us (Romans 5:8).
This is true greatness:
-
It is not content to rest in yesterday’s victories.
-
It is not paralyzed by today’s failures.
-
It is not built on titles or acclaim.
-
It is born in quiet trust, obedience, and sacrificial love.
Both David and Jesus show us that the measure of a life well lived is not success as the world defines it, but faithfulness in the unseen, painful, difficult moments.
Today, whether you stand on a mountaintop or walk through a dark valley, greatness is found not in your circumstances but in your surrender. Trust God in the moment you are given. Choose love over fear. That is the path of true greatness.
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