1 Kings 18:17-18 When he/(Ahab) saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.  “Sore Thumb sticks out.” The root of mockery and dissension springs from arrogance and pride. The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name— behaves with insolent fury (Proverbs 21:24). Rebellion, envy and pride can blind the eyes of a person to the truth of the Gospel. Elijah was a radical and dynamic prophet but King Ahab addressed...

Acts 19:23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. “Sore Thumb sticks out.” Be on guard for a great disturbance or a spiritual attack at the brink of the breakthrough. Our spiritual progress stands out like a sore thumb to the hellish offenders. Hell is traumatized when souls are saved from sickness, sorcery and sin. The Apostle Paul brought about a great revival in the pagan city of Ephesus. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand...

Daniel 6:3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. “Sore Thumb sticks out.” The old proverb goes, “The tree with the sweetest fruit attracts the most stones”.  Lush and fruitfulness attracts the eyes of evil men and hellish offenders. Excellence, brilliance and productivity attracts uncalled for enemies, criticism and opposition. Daniel was exceptionally good at his work. The spirit of excellence attracted the attention of the king and he was promoted as the chief administrator of the whole kingdom. However, excellence attracts...

Genesis 39:9 “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” “Sore Thumb sticks out.” Unfaithfulness and infidelity is rampant and has invaded and destroyed morality, ethics and integrity in the world. A life with pristine moral and ethical values is looked down as abnormal, conservative and ridiculed. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers at around 17 years. The brawly young man feared God and was faithful to his master....

Daniel 3:7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. “Sore Thumb sticks out.” A 13 years old Christian girl was demanded to remove the cross on her necklace in the UK as it would adversely affect other diverse religious beliefs. However, Muslim and Sikh pupils were allowed to wear the symbols of their religion. The power of the cross from a tiny crucifix in the...

Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. “Sore Thumb sticks out.” Swelling and stiffness in a sore thumb reduces the flexibility to move the thumb to bend, move or hold.  We are called to stand up against ungodly values, ethical practices and moral principles that are detestable to the Lord. Mordecai, the uncle of Esther, refused to pay homage to Haman, the Prime Minister of Persia and the royal adviser to King Ahasuerus. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the...

Proverbs 23:1-2 When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you, and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite. “Sore Thumb sticks out.” Sore thumb attracts attention because it hurts, annoys and irritates. We are called to live like sore thumbs in this world. The scriptures reiterate over and over again not to conform to the ways, traditions and the culture of this world. It is easy to take a glass of Champagne to propose a toast in an office get-together than to say ‘no’ to alcohol. In...