Be Humble

Do you like to brag on yourself? Do you like to tell others about all your accomplishments? Do you think you are better than others based on what you have done? Do you think too highly of yourself? Have you considered that every thought and spoken word God knows?

All of us think highly of ourselves at times. It often overcomes us when we feel we have done things others have not, or we have just accomplished something. We like to flaunt our accomplishments, especially when we want to impress someone else.

Being overly proud of ourselves and arrogant is contrary to following God. It indicates we have failed to comprehend the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. We are taught to be humble, to not think too highly of ourselves. We are taught that every person is made in the image of God, even if given different abilities.

Hannah sings to God after she has been blessed to have a son. She may have been thinking of her rival, Peninnah, when she sang of no more speaking proudly. Even so, her words are a valuable reminder to us today. Every person is loved by God. He knows what each of us is thinking and hears every word we speak. He knows our attitudes and our actions.

As we go about our daily lives, we would do well to notice others, imagine their situations, and try to put ourselves in their shoes. When we seek to understand others, we find we are not all that different from one another. We begin to see them as God sees them. As our eyes are opened, we become more humble and more like Jesus.

I pray we all seek to rid ourselves of pride and arrogance. I pray we seek to have a humble attitude. I pray each one of us seek to see others as God sees them. Rid yourself of pride. Do not be arrogant. See others as God sees them. Be humble. Be more like Jesus.

1 Samuel 2:3

Talk no more so very proudly, 

let not arrogance come from your mouth; 

for the Lord is a God of knowledge, 

and by him actions are weighed.

Present Your Requests

Has there been something you had yearned for for a long time? How did you go about acquiring it? How did you feel when you acquired it? Were you successful in acquiring it? If not, are you still yearning for it? Where will you turn now? Will you ask God for it?

There may be something we desire that we can’t seem to acquire. We may want it more than any other thing. We may seek it for years. It may appear on the horizon, almost within our grasp, only to disappear again. It can be both frustrating and depressing.

Hannah desired a child. She had been baren for years. He husband, Elkanah, loved her very much, even though she had never given him a child. Hannah brought her desires before the Lord. She poured out her soul, trusting God would carry out his will, and she would abide by it. God answered her prayer and gave her a son, Samuel.

There are two lessons we can all learn from Hannah. First, when we should bring our desires to God in prayer. We should make our request. If the answer is not what we want right away, we should continue to bring our desire to God. If it is something we desire strongly, we should pour our heart out to God.

Second, we should be willing to accept God’s will. If his will is that we are not to receive what we desire, we accept that God has his reasons for not granting it to us. This doesn’t mean we ask once or twice and give up. It does mean that if we have been asking for a long time, perhaps years as in Hannah’s case, we pour out our heart one last time and submit to God’s will.

Just as God had a plan for Hannah, he has a plan for us. God may be waiting for us to the point of being willing to accept him saying no before he grants our request. We need to submit to God’s will in all things. We must know that we rely on him for everything.

I pray we all present our requests to God. I pray we continue to ask God for what we desire. I pray each one of us will pour our heart to God and submit to his will for our lives. Ask God for your desires. Persist in your requests. Pour out your heart to God. Submit to his will.

1 Samuel 1:20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

God Satisfies

Have you ever been distressed. Have you been depressed? Have you felt there was nowhere to turn for help? Have you wept until you thought you could weep no more? Was your heart broken? Have spent time alone in your weeping? Did you think no one would understand?

Most will experience at least one time in which we are in deep distress. We will be depressed. We will feel as though no one understands. We will feel all alone. Our hearts will be broken. We may feel like there is nowhere we can turn for help. Yet, there is one place to turn.

Hannah was deeply distressed because she had been unable to have children. Her rival had several children and taunted her because she had none. Hannah felt inferior because of it. She was tired of being ridiculed. He was tired of being teased about it. She had had enough of it. So, she turned to God. She bared her soul to him and made her request.

There are times when we need to bare our soul to God. We need to pour our hearts out to him. It’s not that he doesn’t know what is going on. But God wants us to willingly come to him and tell him what is on our hearts and minds. He wants us to acknowledge that only he can satisfy our desires. In the moment we realize he is the only one who can help us and we turn to him, we become humble.

When we come before God with a humble heart, he listens. God cares about us more than we can comprehend. It is incumbent on us to recognize we need him. Until we do, we continue to live in our pride and seek to fix it on our own. Unfortunately, we cannot. Therefore, reach out to God, pour your heart out, and trust God to satisfy your request.

I pray we all turn to God when we are distressed. I pray we turn to God when we are depressed. I pray each one of us will pour hearts out to God and trust he will satisfy our requests. Turn to God. Pour your heart out to God. Know that God cares. Trust God to satisfy your request.

1 Samuel 1:9-10 After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly.

Bearing One Another

What does it mean to bear with one another? Should we only bear with others so long as it doesn’t cost us anything? Should we only bear when it is convenient? How do we want others to bear with us when we make mistakes or are wrong?

Bearing with one another is challenging. It requires a committed faith in Jesus. It requires us to trust that God is fully in control. Our hearts must be right with God. Our minds must block out the screams for retribution from our culture.

Notice the Apostle Paul states we are to forgive one another. That is part of bearing with one another. Not only are we to forgive, but we are to forgive as God has forgiven us. Think about that for just a moment. How many sins has God forgiven of you? How egregious were some of those sins? Are you holding a grudge against someone else? Do you not think that is a sin and a lack of forgiveness?

Bearing includes suffering with others, helping them in their times of trouble, being someone they can lean on, and forgiving them when they sin against us. This is not only for those we like, it is for every brother and sister in Christ. We are to love all of them and demonstrate our love by bearing with them.

Not one of us is bearing the burden Jesus bore. We have no reason to complain about minor inconveniences in this life. The more we trust in God, the more we will see the true nature of bearing with one another.

I pray we all choose to trust God wholeheartedly. I pray we forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray each one of us will choose to bear with one another through all situations. Trust God wholeheartedly. Forgive one another. Do not complain. Bear with one another.

Colossians 3:13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

We Cannot Out Give God

How often do you worry about money? Are there times you are unsure if you can pay bills? Are you seeking ways to make more money? Do you struggle to give to charities? Are you struggling to give back to God? Have you considered giving back to God should be a priority?

Many people struggle financially. They live from pay day to pay day. Some juggle paying bills. They may pay a bill late on occasion due to not having enough money. Using any of their meager funds to help others is out of the question. They are barely making it themselves.

When it comes to giving back to God by giving to the church, we often make it a lower priority. Why? We struggle to pay bills. We have needs. We have wants. We have put ourselves in debt. We do not make God the priority. It is hard for us to admit that. Yet, when we boil it all down, it is true of many of us.

Jesus watches the people putting money into the treasury at the temple. Many of them dropping several large coins into the collection pail. They make a loud sound as they drop into the pail. Then, a poor widow drops two small copper coins into the pail. They barely make a sound at all. Jesus declares she has given more than all the others.

It is not about the money. It is about faith. The poor widow trusted God to provide for her. She gave everything she had. There was no money left to buy bread. Yet, she trusted God would grant her next meal. We, too, can trust God to provide. It is hard to do at first. But as we trust him in small ways and see him answer, it becomes easier to trust him with bigger things.

I pray we all trust God to provide for our needs. I pray we start trusting him with small things. I pray each one of us come to know that we cannot out give God. Trust God to provide. Trust him with small things. Learn to trust him with bigger things. Know you cannot out give God.

Mark 12:43-44 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

No Fear of Death

Are you afraid of dying? Do you have no fear of dying, just the fear of the process? Many people are afraid of dying. They have a fear of the unknown. They are not sure what happens after death. Or they simply don’t want to leave this world. They are afraid they will miss something.

As Christians, we should have no fear of dying. We should be fully confident of what’s next, where we are going. We may desire to not suffer or experience severe pain as we die but have no fear of dying. None of us desire to experience excruciating pain.

Just as we will only die once, Jesus died once. In His excruciating death on the cross, He bore all our sins. His death is how our sins are forgiven. Why did He die? He died to demonstrate the epitome of God’s amazing grace. Because of God’s desire to save us, to set us free, and to bring us back into a relationship with him, Jesus died a sinner’s death.

Yet, Jesus rose on the third day. After He rose, He appeared to His apostles and many others for forty days, still speaking about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). He then ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. But He will return to save those who are alive when He returns. At the end of time, this world will be destroyed, and a new earth will be put in its place (Revelation 21:1).

We are mortals who have a limited time in this life. When we are resurrected, we will be given new bodies. We will become like angels (Mark 12:25), meaning we will not live as multiple families but all of us as one family in Christ. Our relationships with one another and with God will be far deeper than we experience in this life. Everything will be perfect. God will provide everything we need. We will live forever in his presence, seeing him face-to-face forever.

I pray we all let go of our fear of death. I pray we are confident of where we will go. I pray each one of us look forward to spending eternity with God while making the most of this life. Have no fear of death. Be confident in God’s promises. Make the most of this life. Look forward to spending eternity with God.

Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Sanctuary

What comes to mind when you hear the word sanctuary? Do you think of a wildlife preserve set aside for endangered species? Do you think of a place to rest, talk with others, and to feel safe? Do you think of a church sanctuary where you go to worship on Sunday mornings?

The word sanctuary means all of these. It is a place of refuge. It is a place of safety. It is a place of worship. It is a holy place. A sanctuary is a place we can find refuge from our culture and worship without fear of persecution. It is a holy place where we come before God.

But a sanctuary is not the only place we can worship God. Jesus told the woman at the well that we will worship God in spirit and truth without regard of the location (John 4:21-24). Yet, the sanctuary is where we come together in corporate worship to worship God as his people. Our worship includes the reading of Scripture, praying, singing hymns of praise, and hearing a message expounding on the Scriptures.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He ascended to the true sanctuary. He ascended to the right hand of the Father. He continually appears before the Father on our behalf, being our advocate for forgiveness. His perfect sacrifice continually cleanses us of our sin, not only because He died on a cross, but because He intercedes for us continually.

The sanctuaries of our churches are an imitation of the perfect sanctuary. Not in a physical construction, but in their representation of a refuge from the world we live in. Our sanctuaries are to be safe places. We can come to our sanctuaries to find solace, comfort, rejuvenation, renewal, strength, courage, peace, joy, and love. This is all possible because of the love God has for us and the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

I pray we all know Jesus continually intercedes for us. I pray we see our sanctuaries as a refuge. I pray each one of us will peace, joy, and love when we come into our sanctuaries to worship. Jesus intercedes for you. Find refuge in the sanctuary. Worship God. Find peace, joy, and love.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

God Protects

Who built your house? Do you trust that it was built correctly and will withstand the storms of the world? Who protects the town or city where you live? Are they all trustworthy people? How can you aid in the strength of your house? How can you aid in the protection of your town?

We all live in houses or apartments that are typically built by professional builders. Most of them have been building for many years. They also have a set of codes or rules they must follow as defined by the state and city. These requirements provide us some comfort.

Our towns and cities are typically protected by police officers or Sherriff’s deputies. These men and women have taken an oath to protect and serve the community. There are times when they put their life on the line to protect someone else. We likely don’t often think about them. Honestly, we often take them for granted.

The Psalmist tells us that only the Lord can build a house that will stand. All others labor in vain. We are also told that only when the Lord guards the city is it truly safe. Otherwise, the watch standers labor in vain. Does this bring us comfort or concern? Have we put our faith in people or in God? How can we help make things safer?

First and foremost, we can pray. In fact, we should pray as we choose a house to purchase. We should ask God if it is the right choice for us. We should continue to pray that God protect our house and all those who live in it. Through prayer, we are asking God to be with us so that our labor is not in vain.

Second, we should pray over our city police departments and county Sherriff’s offices. As we pray over the leaders of those departments and the men and women who work for them, we bring God’s protection over them. As God protects them and works in their lives, they protect our families and friends. Bringing God into all situations is always the best answer.

I pray we all ask for God’s guidance when choosing a house. I pray we ask God to protect our police forces. I pray each one of will bring God into every situation and ask him to protect us. Ask for God’s guidance. Ask for God’s protection. Know that God is always available. Pray for God to work in your life.

Psalm 127:1

Unless the Lord builds the house, 

those who build it labor in vain. 

Unless the Lord guards the city, 

the guard keeps watch in vain.

Future Impact

Have you considered how God might be using you? Have you thought how he might use your children or grandchildren? What if God is using us to set up something wonderful two or three or four generations down the road? What if you never know how God is using you?

God works out his plan through people who may not ever know just how they fit in it. He may be using us in this life to accomplish something for a generation much later down the line. We must remember that God can see all of time at the same time, though we cannot.

Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz were all being used by God to accomplish his plan for the coming Messiah. Naomi had lost her husband and her sons. She was a destitute woman. Ruth was a daughter-in-law and a Moabite. She refused to leave Naomi and committed to worshiping Naomi’s God. So, she returned to Bethlehem with Naomi.

Boaz was a kinsman redeemer, which means he was related to Naomi’s husband and could take redeem the land he had left behind when he left for Moab. Naomi knew this and prodded Ruth to go to Boaz. Boaz ultimately married Ruth and redeemed the land. What neither of them knew was that they would be in the lineage of Jesus.

Since we do not know how God may be using us, we should continue to trust him. We should continue to be willing to follow him, listen for his calling, and do what he guides us to do. We have no way of knowing how our willingness to follow him throughout our lives will impact future generations.

I pray we all are willing to be used by God. I pray we choose to follow God’s plan for our lives. I pray each one of us trust God is at work in our lives and can use our life to impact future generations. Submit to God. Follow God’s plan for your life. Trust God is at work.

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son.

Be A Paladin

Are there people you seek to provide security for? Do you seek security for your children? Do you seek to provide security for your elderly parents? Do you seek to protect your spouse? Do you and your friends look out for one another? How do you go about protecting them?

Many of us are what I call Paladin’s. A paladin was any one of the twelve knights who attended Charlemagne. In today’s vernacular, they are defined as someone who is an advocate or defender of a noble cause. Protecting people we care about is a noble cause.

We might consider Naomi a paladin. She wanted to protect and provide for Ruth’s future. She did not want Ruth to be left to fend for herself. After all, at that time, if a woman was not married, she often had no way to provide for herself. Women were not typically allowed to learn a trade. Therefore, women who had no husband generally had to resort to begging or prostitution. Naomi did not want that for Ruth.

As we seek to protect those we care about, we do so with love, just as Naomi loved Ruth. We seek to provide them with a future of possibility and promise. We look for opportunities to provide the protection for them that we believe they need. Naomi did the same, even if a little different than we might do today.

Just as Naomi sent Ruth to a relative who could provide a future for her, we might send a friend to a company who is hiring. We might also send a child to a grandparent for assistance or advice. Regardless of what we do, we do it with love that seeks the best for those we care about.

I pray we all seek to be a paladin. I pray we advocate and defend a noble cause. I pray each one of us seek to protect the people we love and provide them with possibility and promise for their future. Advocate for a noble cause. Defend a noble cause. Be a paladin. Protect those you love.

Ruth 3:1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.”