Prideful or Humble

How many of us thank God that we are not like other people we know? How many of us thank God we are not criminals? How many of us thank God we don’t work in what we consider to be offensive jobs? Have we considered that doing so displays our pride before God?

We too often look down our noses at criminals, those who work in certain jobs, and even people we may know who behave unseemly. We don’t pause to think that we are being prideful in our situation, which God has blessed us with and that we are disappointing God.

Jesus tells a parable in which the Pharisee, one of the religious elite, thanks God he is not like other people. He does so out of pride and being judgmental. He has condemned those other people in his prayer rather than leaving that to God. Not only that, but he speaks of his actions in a prideful manner, justifying himself before God.

We are not to condemn others nor justify ourselves before God. First, it is only God who can condemn someone. He is the judge of all. Second, no matter what we do, we cannot justify ourselves before God. We are only justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. When we boil it all down, we are no better than anyone else who walks this earth. It required Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross to justify every one of us.

Rather than condemning others and attempting to justify ourselves, we should lift others up in prayer and ask God to forgive us. We should humble ourselves before God, knowing we cannot do anything to earn God’s favor. It is through God’s amazing grace that we are forgiven and blessed. God’s grace is not earned but freely given. God’s grace is not just for us but for every person on this earth.

I pray we all realize we are no better than anyone else. I pray we lift others up in prayer that they may be blessed. I pray each one of us humble ourselves before God and ask for forgiveness. You cannot earn God’s favor. Lift others up in prayer. Humble yourself before God. Ask God for forgiveness.

Luke 18:11-12 “The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’”

Forgive and Continue

Have you felt abandoned by your friends? Were you hurt by their abandonment? Did you forgive them for abandoning you? Where did you find strength to move on? Did you merely pull up your bootstraps and continue marching? Or did you have help from someone?

Being abandoned by friends can cut deep into our hearts. It can be so depressing that it immobilizes us. We can walk around in a fog with days, weeks, or months. We can carry the hurt for years. Unfortunately, by carrying the hurt we are only hurting ourselves.

The Apostle Paul had been deserted by people he thought he could count on. Yet, he did not hold it against them and asked God not to hold it against them. How could he move on? He leaned on God. He states that God stood by him and gave him strength. Paul knew that God was always with him. He knew there was a much bigger picture than this life.

We, too, can forgive others. When we do, we find that we set ourselves free. The hurt is released because God takes it away. We no longer walk around in a fog. Our hearts heal. The depression turns to joy. We walk lighter, feel better, and can enjoy life once again.

When we lean on God, he gives us strength. In his strength and with our freedom, we can continue with the mission God has given us. For Paul, it was proclaiming the gospel to the gentiles. Our individual mission will be different but no less important. God gives each of us a unique mission and he provides for us. It is up to us to leave our baggage behind.

I pray we all forgive those who have abandoned us. I pray we decide to set ourselves free from the hurt. I pray each one of us will lean on God, accepting his strength, and continuing the mission he gave us. Forgive others. Set yourself free. Lean on God. Accept God’s strength. Continue God’s mission for you.

2 Timothy 4:19 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

Live Confidently

Have you thought about what people will say about you after you are gone? Have you gone through the exercise of writing your own obituary? Do you wonder if people will think you were a faithful person? Are you doing what is required for that to happen? Do you wonder what God will say?

We often hear people say they want God to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” when he greets them as they leave this life. That is certainly a wonderful goal. But I wonder how many of us are living in a way that shows we are pursuing it? We all should be.

The Apostle Paul in his second writing to Timothy states he knows his time has come to an end. Paul states with confidence that he has fought the good fight. He had poured himself into the work God had set before him. He could say with utmost confidence that he had given it his all. He had faced lashings, beatings, rejections, being shipwrecked, ridiculed, stoned, and chased out of town. All as a result of his preaching the gospel.

Paul’s race is finished, and he had kept his faith in Jesus. He is looking forward to his reward, a crown of righteousness. He reminds us that all of us who long for Jesus’s return will receive a crown of righteousness. It is not that we live perfect lives but that we continually look forward to Jesus returning to consummate the final form of His kingdom—a new heaven and new earth and new Jerusalem. It is by keeping our focus on Jesus that we can endure the hardships of this life.

I pray we all fight the good fight during this life. I pray we pour ourselves into the work God has laid before us. I pray each one of us keep our focus on Jesus and live confidently knowing He will return. Fight the good fight. Pour yourself into God’s work. Focus on Jesus. Live confidently.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Slow Down

Have you ever sat down and read the Psalms? Do you have a favorite? They are full of praise, lament, and recognizing the power of God. They remind us of who God is; his power, his creativeness, his provision, his grace, his mercy, simply how awesome he is.

Psalm 65 is one that starts with praise. It recognizes that God answers prayer. It speaks to his grace. It acknowledges God’s provision and his wonderful creation. Psalm 65 can be used a prayer to meditate on and be thankful for all that God has done and continues to do for us.

We get wrapped up in the busyness of each day; the tasks to be completed, the long list of “to-dos”, the rushing around from place-to-place, and quickly forget that God makes it all possible. We face many distractions each day. People vie for our attention. We get interrupted at inopportune times. We ferry our kids or grandkids to activities. And we don’t slow down to spend time with God.

Today, take a few moments to not only read Psalm 65 but read it a few times, focusing on each sentence and each word. Picture the scenes the author paints. Open your eyes to see what God has provided. The very food on your table is his provision. Take time to walk around your yard, seeing the flowers, the grass, the trees. Notice the fields of grain and the farmers harvesting. Give thanks to God for those blessings. Thank him for the breath of life you have within you. Make today be a day of recognizing God’s blessings and thankfulness for them.

I pray we all open our eyes to see God’s blessings. I pray we take time to contemplate God’s creation. I pray each one of us thank God for his provision and for giving us another day to serve him. See God’s blessings. Contemplate God’s creation. Meditate on God’s Word. Thank God for his provision.

Psalm 65:5

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, 

O God of our salvation; 

you are the hope of all the ends of the earth 

and of the farthest seas.

God Keeps His Promises

Do you take promises seriously? Do you follow through on keeping your promises? Do you expect others to keep their promises? Do you dream? Do you seek to know the future? Would you like to have visions of things to come? Do you know God has promised it?

Most of us take promises seriously. Or, at least, we like to think we do. Yet, there are times when something comes up that keeps us from keeping the promises we make. Some of those things are emergencies, while others are personal preferences that get in the way.

God doesn’t renege on his promises. When he promises us something, he fulfills his promise. He promised us, through the prophet Joel, that there would be people who prophesy in the future. That future has occurred since Joel and continues today. The meaning is that people will be able to proclaim what God will do in the future. We can proclaim it because God has written down in Scripture what he will do.

He also promises that people will dream dreams and see visions. Though these are rarer than prophesying, they do still occur. God still speaks to people in a variety of ways, even through dreams and visions. We cannot discount the many ways God speaks to us and to other people. Rather than discounting it, we should seek to learn from it.

Regardless of how God speaks to us, whether through his written Word, preachers, teachers, or through dreams and visions, we can confidently state it is God keeping his promise. This is just another example of God keeping his promises that builds our confidence in him keeping every promise he has made.

I pray we all trust that God keeps his promises. I pray we claim God’s promises for our lives. I pray each one of us will seek to hear God speaking to us through a wide variety of ways and people. Trust God to keep his promises. Claim God’s promises for yourself. Hear God speaking to you.

Joel 2:28

Then afterward 

I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; 

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 

your old men shall dream dreams, 

and your young men shall see visions.

Trust God

How many people do you know who you would trust with your life? Can you count them on one hand? Are there more than that? How many do you trust to do what they said they would do? Do you trust God to do what he says he will do?

Trust can be difficult to give. People disappoint us in many ways. We may trust some people in some areas and not others. There are few people we grant absolute trust to in all things. Typically, not more than a handful, and maybe just one or two.

Why is trust so difficult? First, we like to think we control our own lives and outcomes. Second, when we are trusting someone else to come through for us, it is scary, unnerving, disconcerting, worrying, and makes us anxious. The fear of the unknown kicks in because we are unsure if they will truly come through for us or not.

Trusting God should not have those uncertainties. God always delivers on his promises. When he says he will do something, there is no doubt he will fulfill his promise. The only thing we may be uncertain of is the timing of his fulfillment. Yet, we must trust that God’s timing is always perfect.

Mary trusted in God’s promise. Though Gabriel did not reveal to her he was an angel from God, Mary understood his message came from God. She trusted God’s plan for her, even though it would mean ridicule. After all, she was unmarried. People would talk. She would be shamed by them. But she knew God was in control. We, too, can trust as Mary did that God is in control and trust his promises.

I pray we all trust God is in control. I pray we seek to hear God’s messages to us. I pray each one of us will relinquish our desire to control and our fear of not being in control, so we trust God. Trust God is in control. Seek to hear God. Relinquish your desire for control. Give your fear to God.

Luke 1:38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Pray Continually for Justice

Have you experienced times of deep despair. Have you lost heart sometime during your life? Have you felt things were hopeless, that they would never turn around? How did you tackle those feelings? How did you approach life at that time? Did you spend time in prayer?

Trust can be difficult to give to some people. It can even be hard for us to trust God when it seems the entire world is against us. It those times of despair, when we lose heart, when we are ready to give up, is the time when we need to trust God more than ever.

Jesus tells a parable that emphasizes this point. In the parable, a widow has been accused of something. Jesus does not say what it is. However, based on the context, we can safely assume it was an unjust accusation. She continually goes before the judge asking for justice. Though the judge initially refuses, he finally relents because of the widow’s persistence.

Jesus says to listen to what the unjust judge says and then says that God will grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him continually. In other words, Jesus is saying we are to continue to pray for justice, mercy, grace, and God’s blessings. We are to pray always. Though this world is not fair and justice is often lacking, God will serve justice.

As we continue to pray to God for justice, we are not to lose heart. In other words, continue to trust God is just and will carry out his justice in his time. Jesus says that if we continue to ask God for justice, he will grant it quickly. The only thing we must remember is God’s view of quickly may be different than ours. It is important that we hold on to our faith, trusting God will grant justice.

I pray we all seek justice from God. I pray we know that God is just. I pray each one of us will continually pray, asking God to grant justice in our world and trust him to do so. Seek justice. Know that God is just. Pray continually. Ask God to grant justice. Trust God will grant justice.

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Truth or Tickle

Are you listening to truth? Are you verifying what you hear or read is truth? Are you seeking to know the truth? Or do you prefer to hear what you want, what is pleasing, what makes you feel good? Will you seek out sound teaching? Do you understand the ramifications of turning away from truth?

We sometimes refer to hard truth, meaning truth we don’t want to hear or truth that comes at a cost to us. Though there are times when we must hear a hard truth, it typically comes after we have strayed away from the truth. It is what we need to hear to get back on the right path.

Sometimes I miss my days of serving in the Marine Corps. As Marines, we spoke truth to one another. It may be harsh and tactless, at times, because people’s lives were on the line. But we all knew we needed to hear that truth and obey the commands given. Even if the truth stung initially, we quickly rid ourselves of the sting, understanding the gravity of the situation.

One of the things I had to adapt to as I moved into corporate America was to soften the messages I spoke to employees and customers. There was an expectation to be politically tactful. We often joked, though with an understanding it was generally the way we operated, that the customer was always right. Unfortunately, that is not true. Just as children don’t always know they need to be told they are wrong, each of us need it at times.

We might think the Apostle Paul was prophesying about our current culture when he says people will turn away from truth and seek to hear what they want, even if it is lies. Yet, this is nothing new. Paul likely experienced in his day as well. Pursuing truth is not always easy. Speaking truth is not always easy. But it is only when we hear and know the truth that we can make correct decisions. If the truth upsets us, we are likely seeking our own selfish desires and falling for lies.

I pray we all seek to know the truth. I pray we turn away from the lies we hear in our society today. I pray each one of us seek sound teaching and live by the truth of the Word of God. Seek the truth. Seek sound teaching. Turn away from lies. Live by the truth of God.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.

Continual Learning

Do you like to teach or instruct others? Do you like to learn, seeking to become a better you? Are you a reader, someone who always has a book or two that you are reading? Are you patient when teaching others? Are you willing to correct someone tactfully, yet firmly?

Instructing, teaching, and correcting others is a worthwhile effort. We do not need to be in the teaching profession to do so. On the other hand, being willing to be instructed, taught, and corrected is an important quality we all need. None of us can know everything nor can we always be correct.

A lesson I learned while working in the IT profession is that I could not know everything there was to know. Not only could I not know everything, but I was not the only one who had an idea about how to tackle a specific problem. It was through discussion and asking questions that we collectively would come to the best solution. This concept applies to many of our professions.

That concept also applies to our walk with Christ. Each of us has had different experiences with God working in our lives. We have each experienced Scripture coming alive to us in different situations. Sitting down to discuss God’s Word, rereading it, listening to one another, and being willing to learn is how we mature in our faith.

As the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, Scripture is inspired by God. God’s Word is useful to us, if we are willing to learn from it. But to learn from it, we must give up our preconceived notions. Through my own study, I have discovered that some things I was taught when I was younger were incorrect. I wouldn’t have discovered that if I had not be willing to read Scripture and study with an open mind and truly seeking to gain a deeper understanding.

I pray we all seek to continue to learn. I pray we spend time reading and discussing God’s Word. I pray each one of us approach Scripture with an open mind and dig deeper to better understand. Seek to learn. Read God’s Word. Discuss God’s Word. Have an open mind. Dig deeper to understand.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Constant Companion

What would you give to be wise? Do you desire to be wise? Do you want to be wiser than your enemies? Have you considered what it requires of you so you can be wise? Are you willing to do what is needed to be wise? Do you know it is available to you? Will you meditate on God’s Word?

Being wise is something most people want, but they don’t always desire it. They want it to be given to them. They don’t want to do what it takes to become wise. To be wise requires work, study, and relying on God. Many people are willing to do of them, and maybe two, but rare is the person willing to do all three.

There are a lot of hard-working people in the world. There are many people who study and study and study. There are some people who will rely on God for some things, but very few who will rely on God for everything. It is that third stipulation that trips so many people up. Rather than fully relying on God for everything, they keep back part of their lives to control themselves.

To be wise, we must meditate on God’s Word. Not only study it but dig into it to understand the meaning of it and work to connect all the dots. It is a lifetime of work. And while we are studying and working, we must rely on God to reveal himself to us in his Word. It is when we put the three components together that we become wise. It doesn’t come quickly, but it will come. It isn’t easy, but it is worth it.

Once we have ingested God’s Word through diligent study and prayerfully asking God to reveal its meaning to us, it never leaves us. It will remain with us for the rest of our lives. We will recall it when the need arises, even if we don’t quote it verbatim. It will guide us in our decision-making. It will guide us in conversation and advice giving. It will be our constant companion.

I pray we all desire to be wise. I pray we choose to study and meditate on God’s Word. I pray each one of us will ask God to reveal the meaning of his Word and keep it as our constant companion. Desire to be wise. Choose to study. Choose to meditate on God’s Word. Ask God to reveal himself.

Psalm 119:97-98

Oh, how I love your law! 

It is my meditation all day long. 

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, 

for it is always with me.