>>>
John 3:30 - Jesus Must Increase and I Must Decrease.

John 3:30 (NLT) He must become greater and 
greater, and I must become less and less.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   The longer I live, the more I appreciate 
the adage "less is more." Since my husband and I 
plan to retire soon and move to a different 
state, I'm evaluating our possessions room by room 
and filling donation boxes. The less crowded our 
house is, the more favorable impression it will 
give potential buyers and the easier our move 
will be. I recently purged my clothes closet, and 
getting dressed is now quicker and more enjoyable. 
   I'm also learning (finally) the benefits 
of applying this principle to my calendar. If I 
try to cram too many commitments into one day, I 
may waste time chasing trivial pursuits while 
failing to accomplish that which is truly important. 
I could miss an opportunity that God has 
placed in front of me or feel too stressed to 
recognize the blessings He sends my way. Cutting 
excessive activities from my schedule leaves more time 
for spiritual endeavors. Less busyness means 
more attention to what matters most. 
   As a follower of Jesus, I want to become 
more like Him. I want my character to be shaped 
less by my old nature and more by His truth and 
righteousness, my thoughts to stem less from personal 
desires and more from His plan for my behavior to be 
motivated less by natural impulses and more by His 
mercy, love, and grace. Less of me means more of 
Him. Dianne Neal Matthews 
   Faith Step: What does "less is more" mean 
to you? Evaluate your agenda and your 
household. What do you need to get rid of to make more 
room for Jesus in your day? [Mornings With Jesus 
2023 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

The Forerunner
   Israel had not heard from God for a long 
time. Four hundred years had passed from the time 
of the last Old Testament book, Malachi, to the 
emergence of John. Think about that. Israel, which was 
so accustomed to prophets and miracles and 
angels, hadnt heard from God for 400 years. 
   Then seemingly out of nowhere, but right 
on time according to Gods schedule, a 
colorful character emerged: John the Baptist. 
   John was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. 
He was a radical, a revolutionary. And everyone 
wanted to see and hear John. The Bible says, All 
of Judea, including all the people of 
Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they 
confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan 
River (Mark 1:5 NLT). 
   Not only was John a prominent figure, but 
he was super prominent. In fact, the ancient 
Jewish historian Josephus actually wrote more about 
the life and ministry of John the Baptist than 
he wrote about Jesus Christ. 
   Yet John had a simple job to do, which 
was to prepare the way for the Lord. 
   John was the last - and the greatest - of 
the Old Testament prophets. Jesus said, I 
tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is 
greater than John (Luke 7:28 NLT). So why was 
John the greatest? John alone was the direct 
herald and forerunner of Jesus. His greatness was 
the direct result of his nearness to Christ. 
   Despite this great calling on his life 
and his widespread popularity, John was a very 
humble guy. You might say that Johns motto was, 
He must increase, but I must decrease (John 
3:30 NKJV). He understood exactly what his role 
was. His mission was to get out of the way and 
prepare people for Jesus. 
   And thats our mission as well. [Greg 
Laurie from Harvest Ministries] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

John 3:30 - Jesus Must Increase and I Must 
Decrease. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200307-1301.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/