Fresh Bread

[obsolete]

There is a sense of war, confindence, a taking charge of life again in this word "rise." This rising is not just making sure you're awake, it's like you're going from the bedchamber to the throne room to prepare your country's affairs, listen to counsellors and issues, and make judgements. Apparently in Judah, the king was to make righteouse judgements in the morning.

Jeremiah 21:12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning...

In this arising, there is a sense of strength, opportunity, and responsiblity. Without this 'rising' out of the flesh and natural man, our prayer life will be lackluster, and we will let prayer slip down into empty words that are sent heavenward with little else but hope. It's funny though; the activity of our faith and our spirit in our prayers is the exact same, and uses the same principles as getting out of bed. This rising (this sense of standing up and going forth with strides) is the very sense that must empower, invigorate, and inspire our prayers, especially those of the early morning. You will notice a new life in your day, and a special 'take charge' wisdom will pepper your entire days affairs, if you remember to not only pray but to rise first.

 

[deg]

Luke 22:46
And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray...

Good morning all.

I got into rising and praying a little yesterday, and I want to just touch on it again, and expand on the fact that this rising isn't just a rising of the morning. It's a rising that can be done anywhere, when the Spirit of God quickens you to rise in faith. Any time of day, the Lord may speak to you about something, or your heart may stir, and you can rise in faith, and pray.

Wigglesworth said that if you stay here on earth, you won't get nothin'. You need to go up into the Heavens, ascend past the things that hold you here, and rise into the place where God in Christ lives in Lordship over everything. We know that His Lordship is verifiably true; we've not only believed it, we've exeprienced it. What we need then, is not the knowledge of His superiority on high, but the faith to go up and get Him to move down here. God loves faith, and will respond to the prayer of faith; this is Christianity 101!

So when the days trouble arises, rise higher. A right faith commands a powerful view of the battlefield, always. It will raise you up to see battle, who is winning, and what God's counsel is to you for that day or moment.

So often throughout the day we pray, and call on God in word. But our hearts and our faith just isn't behind it, and for those prayers we will get very little. He hears, of course He hears, but the Lord isn't inspired to get up from His Heavenly Throne and grant your request if you don't pray with faith.

The temptation left to us, once we really have experienced faith and exercised it to build and strengthen it, and are beginning to really walk with God in a daily and hourly way, is to try and make faith our servant. The tempter's voice isn't far behind our discovery of the gift of faith. His voice rings out "command these stones that they become bread." In other words, he says:

Try and use your faith for your own purpose. Try and do something with the faith you've got. Try and use this cool gift of faith to satisfy your own desires.
​

He is a liar and a thief.

A man who has rightly experienced God will know to wait on the quickening Spirit of God to really exercise the faith He has, because then the Wind will be beneath his wings to lift him up, and he won't be beating his wings frantically and exhaustingly to rise. The same principle of the cross will live and breathe in our exercise of faith; "Not my will, but thine be done." We should be able to sense when our faith in God rises; you may see a particularly special and recurring theme in conversation, or perhaps a scripture is brought to you repeatedly, or perhaps your soul delights in something you saw in some unbeliever. But whatever it is, there is a definite waiting on the Lord for this wind to rise in faith. We don't rise of our own accord, or in our own time, or by our own strength. We rise only when the wind picks up, and we sense the Lord beginning to draw nearer to us in Almighty Strength.

And here is a mystery; our faith is a vessel for faith. Please get this, dear one; our faith only goes so far. If the Lord is pleased to work in and through us, He will give us some of His Own Faith for that day and purpose! What a treat! Almightiness in a little bottle, for and with God. What a treat.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

​

So then, there is faith in Christ, when we come to believe in Christ. And then there is the faith of Christ, which anoints us for service when He desires something to be done. But those days are special. Very special. So dear brother, rise in faith, and wait on wind sent by the Lord. And then you will rise as high as God desires to take you, which is often higher than we ever expected!

Blessings!

 

[deg]

Good Morning All.

Colossians 2:18
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility...

This is a remarkable passage. I've just done a little research on the words, wondering what exactly the apostle is trying to convey. We all know that pride can be dangerous, but it seems more dangerous than pride is a willful pursuit of humility. Interesting!

Voluntary: (Strong's 2309)
thel'-o Verb
​

Definition
​

1. to will, have in mind, intend
2. to be resolved or determined, to purpose
3. to desire, to wish
4. to love
   1. to like to do a thing, be fond of doing
5. to take delight in, have pleasure

Humility: (Strong's 5012)
tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay Noun
​

Definition
​

1. the having a humble opinion of one's self
2. a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness
3. modesty, humility, lowliness of mind

So, if I am correct in applying these definitions, you are deceived and cheated out of your reward for your work if you are thinking, willing, desiring, and purposing for humility. Read Job 41, and be reminded of the strength of the enemy of pride. Leviathan is the king over the children of pride (job 41:34) we are told, and our weapons cannot even come close to hurting him; rather, he laughs at them.

Job 4:8
8 If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
​

Job 41:25-29
25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.
26 The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
27 Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him. 29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.
​

This is a terrifying enemy. Do not go near him. Let him thrash, there is little you can do. Either you can engage him, and fail with disaster, or you can let him thrash and writhe on your life. Don't set your sights on humbling yourself, because it just won't work. You'll become proud about being able to humble yourself! I suggest praying as soon as it hits, trusting that God knows his frame as well, and will do that which He set out to do, namely, the redemption of His people. Though I may honestly say I do not understand this enemy, or how to beat him, I do know there are promises in the Word of God regarding him, and those promises are a safe place to put our trust.

Isaiah 27:1
In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
​

So I believe that the best way to overcome this beast is to be patient when he rolls around, and pray. Active and willful humility, however, does not seem to be an answer, since we have been so carefully warned against it in scripture. Be wary of desiring humility; humiliation is never the soul's desire; it's utterly contrary to the soul. Be careful of trying to suppress some normal sense of self and delight in one's own gifts and callings; it's part of being human. These can also be objects of pride, but trying to eliminate pride (especially about God's things) is like trying to squeeze wind in your hands, and can leave you worse than if you just left it alone. I also think we are supposed to have some pride in some things; we're supposed to be jealous about our stuff: it's healthy.

In short, I would warn you against pursuing humility with your will. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Rather, focus on giving your life over to Christ.

If any have read this post, please write your thoughts back, I am eager to hear of your battles against pride, especially of a deliverance story.

 

[obsolete]

Colossians 2:18

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

refers to the heretical teachings of that time that no one was worthy of approaching God directly so had to approach Him by lowering themselves and going through the mediation of angels. It defrauded them of the reward of enjoying Christ directly. The secret things were looked at by sight not by faith, which is the opposite of what we're taught. The verse also warns against not returning to the flesh after starting off in the Spirit. Gal. 3:1-5

 

[deg]

Do you really think so? It seems odd that the Lord would keep this very thing in His word, and not outline, or even suggest the heretical teachings...I can understand how those things are false, for sure, but this verse seems to be saying something else. I think there really is something to be said against willful humility. It's not good. I think that Paul's statement "By the grace of God I am what I am" is far closer to what God is going for; that we accept our blessings, recognize them, and thank God for our place in God's great plan. We can rejoice in God's provision!

I've heard people say other thigns too, that seem to hit closer to what God is intending for those battling pride: "Humility is not to think less of yourself, it is to think of yourself less." I tend to agree. In other words, active suppression of pride is self defeating, and will eventually rob you of some good things. God's not trying to make us poor. Christ wasn't poor; but He was humble. David wasn't poor, but he was humble.

I believe the greatest danger arises in comparing yourself to another.

1 Cor 4:6,7
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Yes, we cannot boast because we received all we have. But we should not, could not deny that we are what we are. Willful humility takes on a tone that tries to suppress the truth of ourselves, and what God has made us. If God says to you "I shall make you king," who are you to deny that you shall be king? False humility will rob you of that position. If God says you are His prophet, then stand as His prophet, and accept the grace and privelege that position affords you. Do not deny. Willful humility is to deny the truth of yourself, and what God has made!

 

[obsolete]

Willful humility biblically speaking could only mean denying the flesh and the bible commands that. Recognizing the position of kingly authority is diminished when used in pride.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.

Acts 20:19 serving the Lord with ALL humility of mind

Leviticus 26 talks about breaking the power of pride

 

[deg]

Obsolete, I'm not trying to deny that a lowly mind and meek heart (humility) aren't very important and lovely in the sight of God, and a keynote to a blessed life. They are required and commanded, for sure, and like you say, God deals with pride quite severely. But I think that is just my point: It's God who deals with it, not us. It's the sort of sin that is impossibly writhing and strong. The 'leviathan' picture is a right one for pride, since he is massive, snakelike, and has no regard for any of our weaponry. But he was put to death on the cross like a snake on a pole, praise God. And now he will be put to death in us, thanks to the work of God.

We need humility. But we need true humility, not self-willed, self-generated humility: Humility is not an overlay we paint onto our proud and ignoble self. God does the work in human hearts, not us, since only He can reach down and work it by His understanding. The whole idea of my post was not that we don't need humility, it's that we don't need self-willed humility. Self willed humility is a great enemy and is to be avoided. That's what Paul is teaching here! The fear of the Lord is HIS treasure, not ours; He is the one who teaches those things, and we need to avoid trying to fix that problem by our own will.

Then, once God has truly worked that humility into our lives, we can serve with all humility. But to try and get all humility by effort is a catch 22. God is the only one who can teach those things, and I'm beginning to learn that it takes a very very long time to be taught by the Spirit in regards to those things. God will wash away our dirt. This is not an exhortation to cease to seek God, or to cease to pursue the right heart before Him. I suppose the core of my message was poorly conveyed. It is this:

Do not deny, devalue, or try to undermine things God has given you. Rightly evaluate them according to the truth.

So that includes the following:
​

1. Be careful how you evaluate yourself, and avoid pride
2. Accept what God has made you
3. Understand that you didn't make yourself
4. You've received everything you were given
5. By the grace of God you are what you are
6. Boasting is excluded, and has no place because of the above 2-5
7. Him that glorieth, let Him glory in the Lord.
8. That God alone will fashion a true heart which is fit for the calling wherewith you have been called. The real brunt of the work in the heart isn't yours, especially when it comes to pride.

 

[Hisbygrace]

Jeremiah 21:12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning...

In this arising, there is a sense of strength, opportunity, and responsiblity. Without this 'rising' out of the flesh and natural man, our prayer life will be lackluster, and we will let prayer slip down into empty words that are sent heavenward with little else but hope. It's funny though; the activity of our faith and our spirit in our prayers is the exact same, and uses the same principles as getting out of bed. This rising (this sense of standing up and going forth with strides) is the very sense that must empower, invigorate, and inspire our prayers, especially those of the early morning. You will notice a new life in your day, and a special 'take charge' wisdom will pepper your entire days affairs, if you remember to not only pray but to rise first.

So get out of bed, and rejoice, 'for this is the day the Lord hath made. I will be glad and rejoice in it!'

For a long time now I have been getting up quite early in the mornings and it took me a while to understand why. It is in the quiet of the early morning that I take my cup of coffee into the garden and share precious moments with our Lord God. As the sun rises I see but a mere shadow of His glorious light and I am refreshed and renewed in His power and glory. The day takes on a new meaning as we sit in the garden alone, just me and God. How very precious to me are those beautiful moments. Praise God! For in the garden He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own. God bless and may you all experience those precious, tender moments.

 

[deg]

Good evening all.

I just felt moved to write about the strange and glorious forgiveness of the Lord. Strange, because it is so much vaster and unbearably better than our daily acts of mercy or goodness are; this strange sort of goodness is too big and wonderful for us to understand.

And so here we are, dealing daily with our sins by the covering grace of God, wondering how such things are possible. The glorious and rich nature of God's own forgiveness of even our deepest failures only seem to further accent His unbearable glory. It's a goodness that is too good for man to embrace.

And so, I just simply wish to bring you a beautiful, wonderful song that Casting Crowns wrote.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zdihmwy1M&NR=1

East to West - Casting Crowns

Here I am Lord and I’m drowning, in Your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me, I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight
I know you’ve cast my sin as far as the East is from the West
And I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned
But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way

Chorus:
Jesus can you show me just how far the east is from the west
‘Cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been
Rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
And time and time again
Your truth is drowned out by the storm I’m in
Today I feel like I’m just one mistake away
from You leaving me this way

I know You’ve washed me white
Turn my darkness into life
I need Your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can’t live by what I feel
About the truth Your word reveals
I’m not holding on to You
But You’re holding on to me
You’re holding on to me

Bless the Lord!
​

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

That's a beautiful post. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[deg]

Morning all.

I had no meditation this morning to post specifically. So I will post an intervention by God in my life.

Two years ago the enemy broke into my life, and stole my goods. For about 6-8 months I had horrid dreams of a fearful and terrible sort, and at the end of this long, long endurance, I was doubting whether God was still with me. So I prayed to the Lord for a sign, to know for sure He was with me, and I wasn't going to die.

I got down on my knees on a monday night, and pray the following, as though it were a letter I was writing in my mind: (That's important later)

"Dear God, I'm way down here. I have no idea whats going on, or whether you're still with me. I only ask for a sign to know whether you are or not. You're God, I can't make you do one thing, or another, but if you do not respond, I will make my decisions about life at that pont. I ask for an email from you. I ask that it be sent to me by saturday. I ask that it tell me how to get out of the predicament I'm in. Please God, I need help! Love, Degory."
​

And I sent the letter away in my mind, up into the heavens.

And then tuesday came. Wednesday came. Thursday. Friday. No sign of anything, no email, and the dreams were getting worse.

And friday night, I had the worse set of dreams. So I went out to my kitchen that saturday morning, announcing that I had had enough of life, and that God had left me. I would no longer eat anything.

My parents and one of my sisters were angry with me, and began to talk to me. My mom cooked up an egg sandwich on brown bread, and sat it in front of me for two hours while they simply argued with me. I was tired. Too tired to fight. So after those long hours of standing up for my own foolishness, I fell into collapse, and ate the sandwich. Not with a good attitude. Not with thanksgiving. It was cold, and if you've ever had cold egg on brown bread, you'll know how terrible it is. It sucked. But then, as I ate, I thought to myself, "Why not go check your email, juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust in case?"

"Ok."

So up I got, trounced into my sisters room, and grabbed her macbook. I took it out to the kitchen table, and asked my mom to check in my gmail. And sure enough, there was something in my inbox. And what I saw was something like this (by the way, once you open the image, click on it again, and it will expand to show you what it looks like in clarity):



(This image was recreated for this post to show you what I saw)
And this is the marvellous email, once I clicked to open it:

​

[SIZE=-1]degory boyce <degory@gmail.com> [/SIZE]
​

[SIZE=+2]Rules from God for 2007[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=-1]Hannah Ahrens <hannah_ahrens@yahoo.com> [/SIZE]
​

[SIZE=-1]Fri, Jan 12, 2007 at 7:42 PM [/SIZE]
​

[SIZE=-1]

To: Gavin Wilson <blackcat_2119@yahoo.com>, Carolyn Johnson <rose2love@rogers.com>, Degory Boyce <degory@gmail.com>
​

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]

Rules from God for 2007
​

[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]1. Wake Up !![/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Decide to have a good day. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Psalms 118:24[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]2. Dress Up !![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]I Samuel 16:7[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]3 Shut Up!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]4. Stand Up!!... [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]5. Look Up !!...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]To the Lord. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Philippians 4:13[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]6. Reach Up !!...[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Proverbs 3:5-6[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]7. Lift Up !!...[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Your Prayers. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]"Do not worry about anything; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Philippians 4:6[/SIZE]


[SIZE=-1]Send this to the people you care about. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]I thought this was mighty special, just like you. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Pass this on and brighten someone's[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] day, and remember: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]God answers Knee-Mail.
Need Mail bonding?
Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo! Answers users. [/SIZE]
​

Needless to say, I began to laugh, both me and my mom laughed a good laugh, and I went in to pray and thank God in my room. But we all have this attention from God: He has both saved and bought us all! (Did you read the part where it says God answers kneemail? God is hilarious, and sees and hears you when you're praying.)


God is so very good! Bless the Lord, and enjoy His Truth.

 

[deg]

Morning All.

I thought this word was particularly good. Enjoy!

Encouragement for Others, Glory for God

So then death is working in us, but life in you... For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:12, 15)
We who live under the new covenant of grace are earthen vessels. We have no true spiritual life in ourselves. "You have no life in you" (John 6:53). The treasure who lives within us (Jesus) is our daily source of spiritual life: "Christ who is our life" (Colossians 3:4). Consequently, we must always be dying in order to live. We must be embracing the cross of Christ so that our bankrupt self-life will not be our resource for living. We must look to the Lord as our sufficiency.

The Lord helps us in this process by putting us into impossible situations that necessitate our dependence upon Him. He faithfully responds to our trust and manifests Himself through us. "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11). Others observing this receive encouragement to look to the Lord for the life they need. Thus, Paul could write to the Corinthians (who were aware of this process in his life): "So then death is working in us, but life in you.">
Every difficulty that God brings into our lives not only has significance for us, but it can also have an impact on those to whom we are ministering. "For all things are for your sakes." How important it is to have a perspective on life that includes God working in us that He might touch others. Paul certainly viewed life and ministry in this manner. "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you...Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all...Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory" (Colossians 1:24; Philippians 2:17; Ephesians 3:13).

As the Lord works His grace into and through our lives, grace can be spreading to many other lives: "that grace, having spread through the many." When God's grace is at work in people's hearts, thanksgiving is so often the beautiful fruit that results. Such thanksgiving brings much glory and honor to God: "may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God."

My God and Father, teach me to handle trials in a way that will encourage people to trust in You. I want to touch others with life, as I am dying circumstantially. Please make my life a vessel through which You cause Your grace to spread to many lives. May much thanksgiving result, all to Your honor and glory, Amen.

 

[JPPT1974]

We suffer for the sake of Christ
In order to receive His blessing!

 

[deg]

Proverbs 22:4
The result of humility is fear of the Lord, along with wealth, honor, and life.

Proverbs 23:4
Don&#8217;t wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving your attention to it.

These are precious words. I've long sought out how to find a true humility in God, and what it means to be humble, since I've encountered so many enemies in the camp of pride. It's a terrible place to sojourn.

So I set my heart to obtain humility a while back, and believe it or not, found very little that I could grasp and understand. I was vexed and I still am to some degree! Humility and the lowliness of Christ seem so difficult for the rich, whether the riches are monetary, intellectual, physical, or even spiritual. But these verses I discovered last night seemed to jump off the page to me, and really helped return me to what it felt like to be a kid, when you didn't have very much, and everything you had was given to you.

This will be a big help with the pursuit of peace: don't worry about riches, of any sort. Don't worry about outpacing your brother. Don't worry about excellence, except for excellence's sake, and not another reason. Do a good job to please your superiors (in every aspect of life) and to simply do a good job, and pay no attention whatever to the reward! Even if there was no reward, pay no attention that fact! Pay it no attention whatever!

Also on the path to peace; humility. Although paying no attention to riches of any type or size will help a great deal with this, I believe that humility is a little more difficult. I must say that it vexes me a great deal. Humility is not a thing to be 'gotten,' or an attitude of one who throws riches away. It's not a person who talks or lies to themself about what and who they are (especially in relation to others), nor is it someone who suggest to themselves anything at all about their worth.

The Apostle Paul gives us several directions:

Phil 2:3,4
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (This is central to a right ministry), but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The danger then is to devalue ourselves in order to consider others better. Do no such thing, but rather,

Romans 12:3,4,5
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.


Do not think more highly than you ought to. Rather, think of yourself soberly, without emotion or partiality toward yourself. We are told to rightly evaluate ourself, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. This is not self-abasement. This is not self-exaltation, nor saying you are nothing when you are something. It isn't denying the truth about you, but in accordance with God's evaluation of you, and what He has said of your state, and in accordance with what He has given you, rightly evaluate yourself. Again, humility is not the denial of truth, it is the honest and true evaluation of yourself, in the light of what God has given and said. Also remember that you belong to the other members, just as each organ needs every other organ to stay alive and to function with health and vitality. Co-dependance is part of the framework of life, and ought not to be denied. Look well to the concerns of others, and also remember the truth of what you are, and do not forget what you ought to be. The simple truth is that you are not what you ought to be, but that God himself will bring you there. He has promised to do so! Humility understands that we are missing something, even as Christians; that we truly aren't what we were made to be, and that God is the One can bring us there. We do groan, waiting for the redemption!

Blessings Today,
Degory

 

[deg]

I read this this morning, and you should all read it. I see so much of myself in it! Blessings this saturday morning.

Israel's Response to the Law's Demand

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient"... Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice. (Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 26:17)

God's law demands wholehearted obedience. "This day the LORD your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 26:16). When the Israelites heard this summary requirement of the law, they confidently promised that they would obey. "Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice." Forty years earlier, when the Lord first gave His law to His people, they responded in a similar fashion. "Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, 'All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient'."

Their intentions were certainly commendable. However, their performance was definitely unacceptable. Even before they had departed from the mountain where the law was given, they plunged into disobedience. "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it" (Exodus 32:8). Soon after the death of Joshua (who led them into the Promised Land), they repeatedly rebelled against the Lord their God. The book of Judges documents this clearly: "And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD" (3:12); "And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD" (4:1); "Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD" (6:1); "Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD" (10:6).

Twelve hundred years later, Stephen would summarize Israel's history of disobedience. "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51). What a sobering evaluation of those who were so confident of obeying the law of God.

Dear Father, I humbly bow before You, confessing that I am so often like the children of Israel. I confidently promise to live in obedience to Your will. Then, I quickly stray from Your path and indulge my own will. Thank You for Your forgiving grace. Yet, I earnestly cry out for more. I need Your transforming grace to renew my inner man unto increasing obedience to You, through Jesus, my Lord, Amen.