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The word of God, is an incorruptible seed; and even this day, may the Lord speak into your heart, your life’s situation, as we continue to meditate upon His word of promise – Those who seek the Lord, will lack no good thing. [Psalms 34:10] Everything good, every good and perfect gift, comes to you from the Father, above. [James 4:17] It is by grace and faith that you receive every gift and the gift of salvation that encapsulates it all , is the truth that you are no longer in slavery to fear, but enjoy the privilege of calling God, Abba Father, in a personal relationship with Him.
Together with HIM:
Understanding salvation, is knowing that He saves you from sin, giving you victory over sin, in every area of your life, over which it had hitherto had a negative and harmful influence. It becomes vital for there is no part of you that had been unaffected by it’s wickedness. God has raised you up with Christ, to be seated with Him in the heavenly places – So that in the ages to come, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace, in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. [Ephesians 2:7] It can be seen that it is always together with Him, in Christ Jesus. And it is why the word of God exhorts you to have the attitude of Christ in you, to also go on to imitate His action.
a] He gave up His right, of being equal to God, to come down to earth.
b] He came to serve humanity, and not to be served.
c] He humbled Himself. He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, Even death on a cross. [Philippians 2:8]
Humility:
It is a term that has come to be very loosely applied in the society, where it is judged mainly by the outward appearance and behavior of a person, beginning with his attire. But with God, it is humility of the heart, that reflects in obedience, that matters. It is the humility that Christ personified, and what you and I are called to emulate. Obedience is the key factor, when it comes to humility. The opposite of it , is pride, that is displayed in a self focus, to the exclusion of all else, including Gods rightful place in your life.
Pride:
Pride focuses on the self, when it needs to be on God. It can be seen in the prayer that he prays, for he asks for God’s help in what he has already purposed in his own self to do. The person who is not proud though, will pray and ask God, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ And Solomon nails the effect of pride, to say, By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well – advised is wisdom. [Proverbs 13:10] Digging beneath what appears to be the problem at the surface level, you will be able to see that the root of it all is pride, whatever the nature it maybe, and wherever it may crop up, even in a family. It is always because of one’s ego and a boasting in one’s own self.
The anti – dote:
When there is pride in you, it will invariably bring the attribute of jealousy or envy, together with it. For, if pride makes you possess, all the things of the world, whether you need them or not, pride will make you envy, the one who possesses something that you do not have, be it, a fancy vehicle, an expensive watch, whatever. But, God has provided the antidote; it is to humble yourself, and remain humble. And difficult though it could be, as it is written in the scriptures, humility precedes godly honor, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Himself being the perfect role model of it, and it’s undeniable proof. But God has created you in His own image, with a free will, and will therefore show you His will, but will never force you to receive it. It has to be a willing submission on your part.
Come to Me; learn from Me:
It is the Savior’s invite, that you may come to Him, to receive His meekness, and humility, to find rest in your soul, as you take up His yoke, to learn from Him. [Matthew 11:22] He became obedient to His Father’s will. He received His nourishment, His strength, in doing the will of God. [John 4:34] It was how, in His agony, as He approached Calvary, He in obedience, was able to pray, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, and gave Him strength. [Luke 22:42,43] And earlier He prayed, even as His soul was troubled, acknowledging the pain of it all, He was still able to courageously declare, that the Cross, was the reason He had come forth into this world. [John 12:27] And, your strength too lies in doing the will of God for your life, His specific call upon your life, the reason for which you were born into this world. When you remain in your call you are secure and fruitful. It is the best place to be. But when you stray away from your call, it can be very dangerous.
The constant struggle within:
Why you cannot pursue your own desires, that in any case came from God, may be the doubt in you, that could tear you apart, a struggle in your mind. But abuse of free will, was how everything went wrong for mankind, at the very beginning, in the garden of Eden. And what God gives you, is always greater and better. The scripture also emphasizes the need to do it in your youth, not wait till you become old, in your sunset years. Your future strength lies in it.
For such a time as this:
Looking back, you will see, that you did not choose your time and place of arrival into this world. You are here, because God wants you here, for such a time as this, to accomplish His good and perfect will in and through you. The carnally minded may not be able to understand it, but you and I can, to know that we are not our own, but have been bought with a price, the precious Blood of Christ, all by the grace of God. And His plans for you ,are much higher and greater than yours. It is vital therefore to live in the truth that your nourishment comes from doing and holding on to the will of God for your life. But yet again, it is pride that can lead you astray, and lead to a defeat that is not God’s destiny for you. And doing the will of God, step by step, in every circumstance of your life is the path, the design that has been laid by God, and it is His grace that takes you from where you are, to where He wants you to be.
Going against & beyond God’s call:
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. [Psalms 131:1] It is a quiet, childlike trust in God, that the psalmist describes here. There were two kings, in the old testament, though, who allowed their initial success that came from God, to make them proud, and over ambitious, to venture into battles that were clearly against God’s will, only to end up in ruin and death. But it need not be so, because of the resource that God has provided.
Greater grace:
And it is as you humble yourself, that you receive the enabling grace, the strength that you need in order to do His will. It is the devil who tries to tempt you into ways that are against the will of God, and it is by submitting to God, only in His strength that you will be empowered to resist the devil. For, God’s strength, and God’s victory then becomes yours. Your strength lies in doing the will of God. And humility is the key to walking in the greater grace made available to you, that can bring you out, even if you have strayed away, to the place that God has ordained you to be. And in surrender and submission unto God, may your prayer be – Father, We thank Thee for thy word, that has given us clarity, to want to be in the place that you have prepared for us. We thank Thee for thy greater grace that has given us the enabling that we may submit unto Thee, to resist the devil, that we may go on to see him flee from us’. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
