All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. v5-6

Peter reminds us to be humble within the church.  We must submit to our church elders and among fellow members of the church.  We must allow Jesus to work through us and we must not grumble and complain.

I have previously posted about this here in 1 Timothy 5.

Similar teachings are also found in Hebrews 13, Romans 13, and 1 Timothy 6. 

Too often I want to make things about me, and not about Him.  Lord Jesus, help me remain humble not just within my church, but also in my roles as a father, husband, and employee.

My Prayer: You are a great God creator of all things and able of anything.  You don't need me but You suffered and died for me, choosing me as Your adopted son.  Thank You Jesus for coming to rescue me.  I am not worth such love because of my arrogance and other sins.  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

Numbers 12

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) v3

Aaron and Miriam rise up against Moses, thinking they were his equal in terms of how God used them and prophesied through them.

Yet, God makes it clear that they are no where near equal to Moses - whom God knew face to face:

When there is a prophet among you,
    I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
    I speak to them in dreams.

But this is not true of my servant Moses;
    he is faithful in all my house.
With him I speak face to face,
    clearly and not in riddles;
    he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
    to speak against my servant Moses?” v6-8

Although at this point in the Bible, Moses mission is incomplete, God makes it clear that Moses (other than Jesus of course) has no equal.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:10-12

My broader point is that one of the attributes that made Moses great - ironically - is his humility.  Moses allowed God to work through Him and Moses did not see himself as great - on the contrary. He certainly was not perfect but he was great.

Lord, help me be humble...help me submit to You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an an awesome God who has done amazing deeds and wonders that I have seen with my own eyes. You have blessed me abundantly.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am selfish - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and and from the side effects of cancer.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

 Luke 1

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1:46-55

This morning, I continue with my listening/reading of a Christmas/Advent devotional from John Piper. Today's entry focuses on Mary and Elizabeth and how God uses their "humble estate" to be the mothers of Jesus and John the Baptist. As I continue to prepare for Christmas, I reflect on how God has humbled me to become one of His elect as I fully recognize that my faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). I have struggled much with arrogance over the course of my life and God has indeed "scattered" me "in the thoughts of [my] heart."  He has also filled me with "good things" and helped me see His mercies as new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Thank You Jesus for helping me see how I need a Savior and for being my Savior.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed an amazing God and given me the gift of faith - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this and the many blessings You pour out for me.  My sin of arrogance continues as well as other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5
My Face or His Face

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. v5-6

The below statements in the devotional really speak to me in how I often feel "entitled".

Will you be the man that says, “I deserve better than this?” Or will you be God’s man who says, “I’m willing to wait for your timing on this one Lord,” The languages of entitlement, conditions and selfishness are not spoken in the land of humility. They are foreign tongues that make sense only to those men given first to pride, masking their fears of being truly great by wasting their influence and affluence on themselves.

Feeling entitled and prideful is sinful - nuf ced.  I need to be humble - the last shall be first.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You left the side of God in Heaven to come to earth for me, then suffered and died for me.  You lived a life of humility, serving others, being full of love, compassion, mercy, etc. You did all of this so others could have forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven with You.  How awesome are You!  Thank You Jesus for the most incredible gift of all time!  I am not worth such gift yet You provide it out of pure grace.  Once again thank You Jesus.  Forgive me for my pride and arrogance.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength and then love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and help her shake lingering side effects of chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him....The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground....Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him....For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Psalm 126, 128, 129, 132, 147, and 149

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him....The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground....Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him....For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Psalm 128:1, 147:6, 10-11, 149:4

Day 274 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with the 11 psalms my commentary* describes as "praise to God for hearing the people’s prayers in captivity and for being faithful in his promises of restoration". Today, I review Psalm 126, 128, 129, 132, 147, and 149.

Among the praise in today's reading are attributes God seeks in His children. He wants us to be humble - to find strength in Him, and to fear Him as this "preserves" us against a sinful life.  Humbleness and humility are important themes in the Bible as these words appear more than 100 times in the Bible and countless stories and characters honored in the Bible demonstrate these qualities - of course including Jesus Himself.

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

 My Prayer: Lord Jesus, it is You who is all powerful and it is You who has created everything in the heavens and it is You I am to worship and fear.  You have provided during both good and bad times and have never left or forsaken me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your love.  My sin continues and it will every day until You bring me home. Please forgive me for my sin and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I am gentle and lowly in heart[.]

Matthew 11:29

I am gentle and lowly in heart[.] Matthew 11:29b

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 20: The Humility of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "[Matthew 11:29] is unique in the Gospel.  There is nothing else at all like it....here for the first time [Jesus] calls attention to one of his characteristics....[and he uses this moment] to teach [his followers] humility."
•  "Possibly no other virtue in the catalogue of Christian virtues is so misunderstood as this one. No other one has been so often erroneously defined, no other grace has been so persistently counterfeited and caricatured. What do we mean by humility?...We know that Jesus was humble, we know also that he demands humility of us, we know that he took the ancient word and cleansed it and made it a lovely word, and yet when asked to define the meaning of it, how difficult it is to do."
• "Jesus gave his disciples three great lessons on the subject of humility" [from] Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 20:25-28, and John 13:4-17.
• In Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus exhorts the disciples to become like little children.  "It is teachableness, docility, willingness to learn. A child is eager for knowledge, he is everlastingly asking questions, he is always bent on investigation, he pries into everything. He wants to go to the roots of everything....Not only is he free from self-sufficiency, but he is free from vanity. A little child is not vain of the belongings of its parents. It cares nothing for diamonds or silks, brown stone, or carriages. It plays with perfect contentment with a child in the street whose parents have [nothing]."
• "It was because the Pharisees did not have it that he criticized them and condemned them. They were not teachable, they knew everything. Nobody could tell them anything. They were vain, they blew trumpets and called attention to their decorations. They loved salutations. They were ambitious, they were always pushing themselves forward, taking the chief places at the feasts."
• "We get just a glimpse of him at the age of twelve, so hungry for knowledge that he will not go home, but lingers behind to ask the big teachers in the Temple just one more question. Always was he teachable. There is no trace of arrogance in him, no spirit of assumption. He is constantly talking to God, asking him questions, praying for new light. He cannot live without prayer. Prayer is the language of humility. Only the docile in heart ever pray. When we say that Jesus was a man of prayer, we say he was meek and lowly in heart."
• In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus shares with His disciples that "humility is...a willingness to serve.  A humble man is a man who is ready to make himself useful....He did not underestimate his powers, or make himself small, or feel himself to be unworthy; he simply came down to where men were in order to do them good. That is Christian humility."
• In John 13:4-17 Jesus washes His disciples feet. "Knowing their dullness of understanding he goes on to explain the meaning of his action, telling them, just as he has been willing to do the work of a slave in order to serve them, so they also must be willing to serve one another. Here, again, we see what humility really is. It is laying aside one's dignity, it is making one's self of no reputation, it is a willingness to come down, it is a delight in rendering service...[I]t was because [Jesus] knew his divine origin and his divine destiny, and was conscious of his lofty position that he was willing to take the basin and the towel and do the work of a slave. This is the secret of humility everywhere and always."
• "It is because we do not know that we have come from God, and forget that we are going back to Him that we make such an ado about our dignity, and prize so highly our reputation, and are so lordly and so lofty minded, and take such delight in putting on airs. Only he who is sure of God possesses the secret of humility."
• "The humility which Jesus wants, and which he exemplified in his life, is a form of strength. Only the strong man can be really humble. It is willingness to lay aside one's rights, it is a refusal to use one's power, it is a readiness to come down and to make one's self of no reputation. Jesus was always giving up his rights, he was always refusing to use his power. Repeatedly he had the opportunity to wreak vengeance on his enemies, but he would not do it because he was so humble."
• "Notwithstanding his exalted position, Paul reminds his Philippian converts that Jesus "made himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And therefore hath 'God highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord indeed.'"

Great words from Charles Jefferson indeed.  The author's words and the Holy Spirit this morning remind me of words from John 3:30 where John the Baptist shares that he must decrease and Jesus must increase.  It is humanity's nature to find worth, value, and significance from the world - of course this hinders an expression of humility defined in scripture.  Yet believers must recognize that our identity, worth, value and significance comes from Jesus - who sees us as worthy of salvation and justified (free from the charge of condemnation as a result of our sin).  Once we recognize our identity as a new creation in Christ, where we see our worth, value, and significance in Jesus, it becomes increasingly clear that we exist not to bring glory to ourselves but instead to glorify God.  It is from our strong conviction of who we are and to whom we belong where we become humble in God's eyes. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sees me as worthy of salvation and I am justified in Your eyes.  And You continue to pour out mercies that are new every morning that never cease.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.”

 Isaiah 36-39

And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” Isaiah 37:15-20

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series. Today, I continue with Lesson 14, looking at Day 3, which looks specifically at Isaiah 37. Here, we see Hezekiah - faced with destruction at the hands of Assyria - with nowhere to go but to God as attempts to rely on both Egypt and Assyria itself have failed.  Hezekiah goes to Isaiah and to God and Hezekiah offers a humble and earnest prayer to God to be rescued.  My commentary notes a number of takeaways from Isaiah 37, including:

• God's glory is uppermost in his own affections
• Therefore, God's actions are first for his name, and second for human salvation
• God's power and knowledge are awesome
• God is sovereign over the nations
• God rules over the heart of kings
• The human heart is arrogant
• God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
• God answers humble prayer
• God's wrath is terrifying
• God's mercy to sinners is amazing

Today, it is Hezekiah's humble prayer to God that convicts me as I seek for God to make me a prayer warrior and of course humility in prayer is key!

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My Prayer: What an awesome God You are - You are always working, You hear our prayers, and You respond - You are faithful!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You work in my life and how You hear and respond to my prayers.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Isaiah 66

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at - once again as it did yesterday on a broader perspective - what kinds of prayer pleases God.  John Piper first looks at what kind of prayer does NOT please God, and he points us to Isaiah 66:3-4.  Here Piper emphasizes God's word where He says in reference to the Israelites that disappointed Him: "when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight." These words reveal an arrogant posture towards God - when God calls and we don't answer - this reflects a heart where one feels that they don't need God or that they can hide from God.  Either way, such an attitude is fool hearty as we all need a Savior and God sees everything.  In contrast, we see in verse 2 an attitude of humility, where God describes the prayer that pleases Him.  It comes from those whose heart is humble and contrite - and who tremble at God's word, showing God the respect He deserves as the One True God. Piper also points us to Psalm 51:17 where David is explicit in answering this morning's question:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

Remain humble! 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me. I know all comes from You and You are faithful, providing for all needs.  I am not deserving of how You save and how You provide - Your grace is amazing.  Thank You Jesus!  Please help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[H]e preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

 Mark 1:1-8

[H]e preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:7-8

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  This morning, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 1:4-8, the second division for Mark 1:1-8 - the commentary's title for this division is We Can Trust God to Send His Preachers.  Excerpts from the commentary:

• "John was greatly esteemed in the eyes of our Savior. John was the Elijah to come, the one who would announce the coming of the Messiah. He was truly at a turning point in redemptive history. While John prepared the way for the Messiah, he rightly understood his role in God’s plan of redemption: 'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30, emphasis added). His ministry was not about himself; it was rightly centered on Jesus Christ."
• We are referred to John 10:41-42 where it shares that the people who came to John said '[he] did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.'"
• "They came from everywhere to hear him, even Jerusalem! Rich and poor. Rural and urban. They responded to John’s preaching by repenting (turning from sin), confessing (acknowledging their sin), and being baptized (an outward sign of humility giving evidence of the inward change of their hearts). He called people to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah."
• John is further described as an unexpected prophet, reminding us that unlike the world, God chooses those with a heart-inclined towards God and humble such that God can work through them..."Not only does he appear unusual by today’s standards; he was unusual by the standards of his own day. He had no credentials, had not studied in a formal school with Pharisees or rabbis, and wore funny clothes and ate weird food!" He was humble in all ways, including in appearance, in home (the wilderness), in diet, and in message (drawing attention not to himself but to the One greater than he.  John was ultimately imprisoned and beheaded but He faithfully fulfilled His call from God to prepare the way for Jesus and to offer salvation. 

Humility is one of the most important and prominent themes - to be humble - in the Bible. John is one of many throughout scripture that answer God's call to make much of God and to do His will and not their own.  Noah is one such example - God saved Noah and his family from the flood and they became the basis for all succeeding generations. Noah and all of the other humble servants in scripture were broken and sinful but no matter, God uses these ordinary people and works both in and through them to accomplish His will.  We have many such examples in our time.  Believers must submit to God and allow Him to work in and through us.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has equipped me to serve You - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me and equip me in my roles as father, husband, worker, etc.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalm 25:8-10

This morning, I continued with John Piper's book Holy Ambition.  My focus today is on the Afterword: If I Could Start All Over: Six Lessons for Your Twenties, pages 181-187. Here, with this final chapter, Piper offers words of wisdom for younger generations of Christians seeking God's purpose for their lives.  Piper wants many of these young people to seek frontier missions work as Paul did.  These six lessons include:

1. marry a radical, risk-taking, go anywhere-for-Jesus world-Christian spouse.
2. join a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching, Bible-structured, Bible-obedient church.
3. go to seminary - study the Bible primarily with less focus on practical church leading skills.
4. resolve to read your Bible every day for the rest of my life.
5. become a Christian Hedonist.
6. recognize that your are not your own, that you have been bought with a price, and that you belong, body and soul, to Jesus Christ for his use and his glory.

 God, please help me focus on Your desire for my life.

Comment and discuss this post here. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You indeed are a great God worthy of my full devotion and attention.  You have revealed to me Your glory and You have blessed me.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of how You have blessed and saved me.  My sin of worry, etc. continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Joseph Remains Humble

Today's Reading
Genesis Chps 49 to 50

Jacob (or Israel as he is now known) is near death and he blesses his children as they and their descendants become the twelve tribes of Israel. Upon Jacob's death, he is buried in the same place where his father and his father's father are buried. Per Jacob's instructions, Joseph attends to the details of his father's burial.

Upon Joseph's return to Egypt and Goshen, where his brother's remained, Joseph is met by his brothers who are fearful of revenge by Joseph now that their father has died - they actually attempt deception by sending word of Jacob's desire to have Joseph forgive his brothers. When Joseph returns, the brothers throw themselves at Joseph's feet seeking mercy. No need for any deception here as Joseph is humble:

His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. We are your slaves, they said.

But Joseph said to them, Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Gen 50:18-21)

Clearly Joseph has an opportunity to be vengeful and to take advantage of his now lofty position, yet he his humble.

My Prayer: Lord, help me remain humble - in all circumstances. Help me avoid abusing any power or position or resources you place in my trust. Above all, let me be the servant of your will.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke 1

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1:46-55

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 2 of Advent where John Piper seeks for us to focus on Mary (Luke 1:48) and Elizabeth's (Luke 1:43) "lowliness and cheerful humility...as they submit to their magnificent God." Piper remarks how Mary "sees" the significance of what God is doing in her life in this moment as she prepares to be the mother of Jesus. These verses (Luke 1:46-55) are also known as The Magnificat - the song of praise Mary sings in this moment - she just cannot fathom how such a great God can do something so extraordinary in her, as she sees herself as unworthy of such a blessing.  It is this humility that drives Mary to praise God. Both Mary and Elizabeth demonstrate something all believers should do in response to seeing the glory of God in their lives - out of the overwhelming feeling of humility how God uses ordinary people such as ourselves - we are to respond with worship and praise of the One True God - Jesus Christ. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of compassion and grace that You would reach down from Heaven and save me!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great and it continues.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

 Luke 2

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

This morning, I continued with my listening/reading of a Christmas/Advent devotional from John Piper. Picking up where we left off yesterday, today's entry focuses on how Jesus could have made space for Joseph and Mary at an inn in Bethlehem, but that was not God's will nor His plan.  God sought for Jesus to rise from humble beginnings and to die on the cross as a means to not just fulfill prophecy, but also to demonstrate His glory, and so all humanity (not just Israel) could be reconciled to Him. Piper urges us to see how God wants all of us to remember that we must be humble just as Jesus was humble - Piper provides several verses to emphasize this application:

• Luke 9:23 - all believers are to deny selves
  
• John 15:20 - believers must not be greater than Jesus; just as He was humble so too must we also be; we are subject to persecution just as He was
  
• Luke 9:57-58 - followers of Jesus must be prepared for hardship and tough times

While Jesus does tell us that we are subject to persecution and hardship - we can have hope in Him because He has overcome the world:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are amazing indeed - that You came to earth with such humility and a heart of service - for me and all of humanity....thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God. My sin continues...worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.” v5

I often grumble or feel envy of others in church leadership because I think I know better...this is total arrogance...God has placed these people in church leadership and I am to submit to them...to be humble and to serve them.

See also Numbers 16, Hebrews 13, 1 Timothy 5.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are great and "[e]very good and perfect gift is from above".  I know You have blessed me gifts, spiritual, material, physical, emotional, etc.  You have placed others in my life for Your glory and my good and I often scoff at others such as church leadership.  Thank You for how You have blessed me, including church leadership, and please forgive me for such sin!  Help me turn from this sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me remain humble and submit to the authority of church leadership and serve them.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

James 4

¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

   “God opposes the proud
   but shows favor to the humble.”

 ⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

All of these words speak to my desires - which are earthly indeed!  I am guilty of becoming a friend of the world so I have sinned greatly against God as in the words of James have become an enemy of God.   I need to humble myself, submit to God, "grieve, mourn and wail" out of desperation to have God give me more grace that I don't deserve. 

My Prayer: Lord, You are awesome in all that You are and all that You do.  Your creation is incredible, Your love is boundless and so is Your grace.  I confess to You now that I am guilty of laziness and of being a friend of this world and an enemy of Yours.  I know you have previously forgiven me Lord Jesus and You have blessed me beyond imagination - for all of this I am thankful.  Yet I come to You now empty handed with nothing I can say or do but to beg for Your forgiveness.  I also ask of You to purify and transform my heart and my life - take my please as I desire to be fully Yours Lord Jesus.

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 3

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For,

“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
¹¹ They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” ¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ¹⁷ For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

I am too often confrontational or righteous.  I need to be right - I am stubborn and prideful.  I need this to change.


Peter's words need to penetrate, refine and transform me - be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble...never repay evil with evil or insult with insult...repay evil with blessing...seek peace and pursue it...do this with gentleness and respect.


Of course this echoes James words:

⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...James 1:19

My Prayer:  Lord, You are patient, humble, respectful...and more - especially to me.  This is amazing because of course I am not deserving.  You call me up and I fall down.  I sincerely thank You for all that You are, have done, and have done for me.  All I know is that I need You every day yet I don't go to You every day so please forgive me for my neglect of You and for falling short...for my sin.  Please refine and purify me and help me put into practice the words of both Peter and James.

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Psalm 149

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. v4

Humility is very important - we must not allow our plans, our desires, our selfishness, or our ambition to be what people see in us.  We must deny ourselves and allow Jesus to be seen in us - others must see in us the Light that is Jesus Christ.

Also key to this verse is that we race for crown that is not of this world - we should strive for glory and victory for Jesus.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Jesus, please help me be humble so that I can run the race You set before me and run it to win the crown that lasts forever. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, patience, etc. for me, even though I am not deserving. Thank You Jesus for Your love and great mercy.  I often fail to love others as You do.   Please forgive me and help me overcome my lack of trust and faith.  Help me overcome my unbelief!  Help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

James 1

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. v9

Humility is a topic discussed frequently in scripture, emphasizing that others cannot see Jesus in us unless we remain humble.  Humility does not imply lack of confidence - on the contrary, believers have confidence.  Their confidence, however, rests in Christ as we have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead.  This is similar to what John Piper sees as "The Happy Paradoxes of Christian Freedom and Slavery".

On the subject of paradoxes, it becomes interesting to look at the topic of mystery vs understanding - and Piper once again has a great post on this topic.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are that You love me and give me BOTH wisdom and mystery - causing me to draw near to You to depend on You for all things. I love You.  I am not deserving of such love and blessing that comes from You.  I worry...far too much.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 4

 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. Daniel 4:37

I continue my pause of my study of Hebrews to study Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 4:28-37 as I lean on a commentary for its observations of this text. Numerous and amazing lessons are clear from this text.  The commentary starts by highlighting how the text shows how in v30 Nebuchadnezzar "had forgotten who is the Most High and who had given him his great kingdom. He forgot or chose to ignore Daniel’s warning and call to repentance."  Of course, this leads (see v28, 33) to Nebuchadnezzar punishment which was foretold to him through a dream which Daniel interpreted.  This is both an admonishment and warning to believers to go to God daily praising Him for all that we have, including our salvation, and to seek His intercession for the brokenness and sin we will experience daily in our own lives and in the world around us until we reach Heaven. The commentary sums up the arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar: "[t]he one who thought he was superhuman became subhuman."  The commentary refers us to James 4:6 and 10.  The commentary also quotes a key insight from John Piper about how we should see Jesus in this text - arrogance vs humility: "Jesus came into the world to convert people from God-like dependence on self to child-like dependence on God." The commentary then concludes with three takeaways:

• "[I]t reminds us to remember who is God and who is not, who is King and who is not."
• "[W]e see Christ in striking contrast with Nebuchadnezzar."  (see also table from commentary below)
• "God gives kingdoms “to anyone he wants and sets the lowliest of people over [them]."
  

Know God and be humble!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You alone are King of Kings and Lord over all - You reign and provide for all - holding all of us and all of creation in Your Hands.  Thank You Jesus for how You provide.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.