That is why I remind you to [a]fan into flame the gracious gift of God, [that inner fire—the special endowment] which is in you through the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].
II Timothy 1:6 (AMP)
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The Bible talks a lot about being humble. Most of us don’t like to be humble because we associate it with being insignificant, and our pride can’t have that. Pride tries to keep God out of the equation of our life. It tries to take credit for the things that God does. I think that’s why God detests it so much. He works hard to put the right solutions in our lives at the right time. Somehow, our pride helps us to look past God to help us believe we did it all on our own.
The more we believe we were the causes of the great things in our lives, the less we feel we need God. We relegate Him to nothing more than our emergency call when there’s something we can’t do. God doesn’t want to be just your 9-1-1 call. He wants to be involved in area aspect of your life, but it takes us being humble to let Him have control when there’s no emergency. Humility keeps us in constant relationship with Him. That’s why it so important.
Here are some of my favorite verses on being humble.
1. Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.
1 Peter 5:6 GNB
2. He leads the humble in what is right, and the humble He teaches His way.
Psalm 25:9 AMP
3. He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
Proverbs 3:34 NIV
4. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2 NLT
5. Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!
Matthew 5:5 GNB
6. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NIV
7. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility].
Philippians 2:5 AMP
8. Poor and humble people will once again find the happiness which the Lord, the holy God of Israel, gives.
Isaiah 29:19 GNB
9. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
10. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:10 NLT
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When I was a kid, there were Time-Life video commercials about the Vietnam War with the Byrds singing “To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)”. It was the first war I heard about because our involvement had ended just before I was born. TV shows and other commercials often referenced it. I’ve read and watched documentaries on how poorly we treated our vets who returned from that war, and it’s shameful. Many of these vets didn’t choose to go because they were drafted, and yet those who opposed the war took their frustration out on them.
We’ve come a long way since then. While there are still people who oppose military action of any kind, veterans and military are honored and revered throughout the country by most people. While I believe veterans should be honored every day for their service and sacrifice for our country, it’s good to have a day like today set aside just for them. It puts the spotlight on people who don’t seek it, and gives honor to whom honor is due.
Many of us will never know the brotherhood that is developed by standing side by side in battle, trusting your life to a person beside you. We won’t hear most of the heroic and sacrificial acts of so many who gave their life to save others. I’ve been to see the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. I’ve watched as people put papers on it to lift a name from it. I was humbled and silent as I walked beside it reading the names of men and women who gave their all. I’ve been to Arlington National Cemetery and wept as I saw row upon row of white crosses.
In those moments, Jesus’ words in John 15:13 come to mind. He said, “The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them” (GNB). It’s a humbling thing to think there are men and women who count me as a friend and are willing to give their all to protect this nation. To all of them and to all the other veterans, I say, “Thank you.” I am grateful for your service and sacrifice.
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One of the things I like to tell people is that the greater the grief, the deeper the sorrow, or the harder the trial, the greater amount of God’s grace you will experience. God gives us grace sufficient for our trials. When Paul was faced with a trial that God wouldn’t remove after much prayer, God spoke to him in II Corinthians 12:9. He said, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]” (AMP).
God gives grace, favor, strength, and mercy according to our need. He knows what we are facing and what we need in order to bear the weight of our situation. You’ve heard of Newton’s Third Law, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” To me, it is the Law of God’s Grace. For every force or trial that comes against you, there is an equal amount of Grace to support you. God gives you enough grace to enable you to stand in times of sorrow and tests.
Paul wrote about this Law of God’s Grace in Ephesians 4:7. He said, “Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift.” Each of us receive a different portion and type of God’s grace according to our need. It is proportionate to our circumstance and is given as a free gift to us. That grace that God gives is tailor made for us because He knows what we are facing and cares for us.
The greater the trial, the greater the grace. I’ve hit rock bottom in my life, but I’ve never found the bottom of God’s grace. It is deeper than anything you or I will ever face. It will always be sufficient to your need. When you go through deep struggles, you get a glimpse of God’s grace that few people ever do. The longer you endure hardship, the longer you can remain in the crucible, the deeper your knowledge of God will be and the firmer your trust in Him will be. The Law of God’s Grace proves He will not fail you when you need Him most.
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If your spirit has ever been broken, you know how hard it is to get through the day. It’s hard to even wake up, let alone face people. Worry consumes your mind. You question everyone’s intentions, and your energy gets depleted. It’s tough to be stuck in that phase. If you’ve ever been through it, then you can empathize with others who are going through it. They need your support and encouragement more than your advice in those times.
Proverbs 15:13 says, “A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day” (MSG). When you see someone whose spirit has been crushed and they’re struggling to make it through the day, offer words that will encourage them to continue going. Chances are that it was words that put them in that state and its our words that can bring them out of it. If only we had the courage to speak them.
If you’ve ever watched an action movie, chances are that there is a scene where one person is hanging off a cliff or the side of a building and another person grabs them with one arm. They then use all their strength to pull that person back to safety. That’s what our words have the power to do. They can pull back someone who has been pushed over the edge and is barely hanging on. We have the power and strength to save someone’s life simply by encouraging them.
I Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up” (NLT). Paul’s words are a reminder to us as Christians that we are to constantly be encouraging, strengthening, edifying, and building each other up. We are to find a way to a cheerful heart. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (AMP). You can help heal someone’s brokenness today if only you will open your mouth to offer encouragement instead of correction or direction. You have the power, use it.
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Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)
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One day, there was a religious leader who wanted to trap Jesus. He asked Him which of the commandments was the most important. Jesus knew what was in his heart and replied that we must love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. What the leader wasn’t prepared for was what Jesus said next. He said, “A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself” (NLT). He knew if we could do these two things, we could fulfill the law.
The first one seems easy enough. We are to love a perfect God with everything in us. The second one, that’s equally important, is the tough one because people are imperfect. People do things that make us mad, offend us, hurt us, and drive us nuts. Yet Jesus is telling us to love them with everything in us as much as we love God. Why would He put that pressure on us? Why can’t we just love God and go to Heaven?
I believe God wanted us to learn to look past each other’s faults to see what He sees in them. Genesis 1:27 tells us what to look for. “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Each of us are made in God’s image, even the people you can’t stand. God put His likeness in each one of us and its up to us to learn to see it the way He does.
If you look for the best in others, they will look for the best in you. If you learn to see God’s image in them, you can learn to love them because we can easily love God. It’s tough sometimes to dig through their layers to find it deep inside them, but His image is in there. When we learn to see Him in others, and to help them see His image in themselves, we begin to see the world through different lenses. We begin to know as we are known and also to fulfill that second, but equally important commandment. Look deeper into to others today to find God’s image and fulfill the law of Christ.
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If you are a Christian, you have prayed and asked God for something. You may have asked for healing for a family member, wisdom to resolve a situation, money to pay some bills, or any number of things. Think about some of the things you’ve asked Him for while I tell you a story about two blind men who followed Jesus home in Matthew 9. When He arrived, they went in with Him and asked for their healing again. They had been asking Him the whole way home and weren’t about to stop now.
In verse 28, Jesus asked them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” (MSG) That’s the question we all need to think about when we pray for things. Do we really believe He can and will answer? I remember when I was a kid, I would often ask my mom for something because the percentage of her saying, “Yes” was a lot higher than my dad saying it. When she would say, “Ask your father,” my heart would sink. Even though I would ask him, in my heart, I believed he would say, “No.”
I’m afraid that we approach God many times the same way I would go to my father instead of the way I went to my mother. When I asked her, I had hope and a cheesy smile. When I asked him, there was no smile and my voice was flat. When I think of these blind men, they approached Jesus the way I went to my mom. They were in essence saying, “Pretty please with sugar on top!” They were smiling and begging knowing He would probably say, “Yes.” They were so hopeful, they followed Him right into His house.
Jesus’ answer wasn’t what they expected though. He said, “Become what you believe.” He told them their answer would be in proportion to their faith in His ability to say, “Yes.” I believe He still answers our prayers that way, and because we approach Him the way I approached my dad for things, we don’t receive. We get what we believe. If we want to start getting answers to prayers, then we are going to have to change how we approach God. We’ve got to believe He will say, “Yes!” We’ve got to approach Him the way we would approach our parent that would say, “Yes.”
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The Boy Scout’s motto is “Be prepared.” It means that you should always be prepared to do what’s necessary to help others. I think it’s a great motto that we as believers should adopt as well. We should always be willing to help others and to do what is necessary, not just what is expedient. You will never become great by doing what’s easy. You have to be willing to pay a price that others won’t. As a Christian, that often comes in loving others as you love yourself.
Timothy was the Apostle Paul’s apprentice in the faith and in ministry. In his second letter to him, Paul gives him advice similar to the Boy Scout’s motto. II Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching” (NLT). His message then and now is to quit waiting for an opportune time to share your faith or help someone out. Do it now!
The time for preparation is before the times are hard. When a disaster is imminent, people rush to the stores and buy what they can in a panic. They may have what you need or they may be sold out. That is not preparation, that’s desperation. Where I live, we know hurricane season is June 1 – November 30. We know that sooner or later one will come. It’s better to be prepared before one enters the Gulf of Mexico. If you wait until it’s too late, you’re going to suffer.
That was Paul’s message to Timothy. He tołd him there was a storm coming. “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” Since that time was coming, Timothy needed to be prepared to use the Word of God to correct, rebuke, and encourage. With a storm time coming, the time to prepare was now.
For us, there is a time quickly approaching like there was for Timothy. When that time gets here, it says that people will not listen to sound doctrine. We can no longer afford to wait for an opportune time to correct, rebuke, and encourage our family members, co-workers, or friends. We must get an urgency about us like Noah had to get people into the Ark. The night is coming and we need to be prepared. We need to be prepared to preach the Word of God now with our mouths and our lives. Eternity depends on it.
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When I travel to New Orleans, there’s a certain homeless person I like to say hello to. He always makes me smile and he never asks me for anything. He’ll say, “It ain’t gonna cost you nothing to come say hello. I ain’t gonna rob you!” I then walk over and say hello and he puts a smile on my face. Except on a recent trip he called me over and said, “You know I never ask for nothing, but could you go in there and buy me an orange juice and sandwich? I’m about to curl up on my cardboard and I’m hungry.”
When I handed him his dinner, he hugged me and thanked me. He then asked, “You know what I’d change about the world?” My mind began to think of any number of answers. No more homelessness. No more hunger. No more devaluing people. No more selfishness. But before I could decide on an answer, he grabbed my shoulder, looked up at the sky, smiled a big toothless grin, and said, “Absolutely nothing!” He laughed, thanked me again and walked away.
I thought about his answer as I walked back to my hotel. Here’s a man, for whatever reason, is sleeping on a cardboard mat on the streets on downtown New Orleans and is exposed to the elements constantly, and he wouldn’t change a thing. Even though he has absolutely nothing to his name, he has found a way to be content. He’s learned to choose joy instead of bitterness over his situation. It’s a lesson we all could learn.
Paul learned that secret and told us about it in Philippians 4:12. He said, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (NLT). That secret is choosing the joy of contentment with where God has you. That joy gives us the strength to endure whatever comes our way. It takes us from being a victim of life to a victor over our situation. Don’t try to change your world. Change your attitude. The next verse tells us we can. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
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I was nominated by Lilkaraphael @ bisforblessed.com
I was nominated for this award by Mike Stephens at mikeforchrist.com
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 