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/