Category Archives: Humble

Our Blindness To Spiritual Drift!

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-Drifting Away!

Every so often I see a story, in the news, about someone who had inadvertently drifted out to sea; or, someone wasn’t paying attention as their canoe just drifted downriver toward a falls; and, they barely escaped, with their lives, once they realized that the current was rapidly putting them toward the falls. I remember getting on a blowup raft, on a camping trip, when I was probably in about 5th grade; and, just basking in the warm sun. I was not even aware that I was drifting farther away from the campsite until I came to my senses; and, realized I had drifted too far from shore! I hadn’t yet learned to swim; so, I remember being scared, for my life, as I quickly paddled back to shore.

-How Spiritual Drift Occurs!

By definition, to drift means: “A continuous slow movement from one place to another.” Spiritual drift occurs similarly in our lives! It happens when we slowly move from a place where we’re walking with God; on fire for him; passionate about prayer & reading His word; faithful to the church gatherings & Small Group, to slowly checking out; and, pulling away from the godly influences, of the faith community; and, losing our heart for worship & prayer & God’s word! We become a casualty of spiritual drift!  It never happens overnight! You won’t just wake up one morning; and, suddenly decide to forsake your faith Jesus; or, say, “Hey! I think today would be a great day to start a meth addiction”; or, “Ya know what? I think I’m going to commit adultery with someone today.”

-Where Sin Will Take You!

Big sins are always the sum of many tiny little bad choices! Someone said it like this:  “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay; and, cost you more than you want to pay.” That pretty much says it all. In Scripture, God’s people— the children of Israel— provide a consistent visual of what spiritual drift looks like. In Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, we find the Israelites returning from their Babylonian exile with great enthusiasm & praise for the Lord God. Jerusalem was rebuilt; and, the temple was restored. But, despite the fact they started well, a spiritual drift began to set in. The world’s thinking began to determine their behavior.

-Motives Underlying Religious Activity!

So, God delivers a message, through the Prophet Malachi, to take a fresh approach to the way they were thinking about God; and, to consider the motives underlying their religious activities. And, there’s an application here for us, as well. Our sinful brokenness will always keep us in desperate need of God’s word to confront our spiritual drift. And, it’s God’s word that is our spiritual lifeline. We simply cannot do the spiritual life without it. So, as we consider Israel’s spiritual failure, in the book of Malachi, over the next few posts, we’ll discover that our tendencies are no different! But, there’s hope here; for Israel & us.

-The Hope Of A New Covenant!

The hope that Malachi speaks of is a “new covenant” with God. A covenant that points to God’s great mercy & grace. There is always “good news” with God! Even if you’ve drifted spiritually, He is quick to forgive & restore you to fellowship, with Him, if you humble yourself & confess your sin to Him. But, make no mistake, if you’re a child of His; and, you’ve guilty of spiritual drift, He will confront you over it, as He did Israel, through the Prophet Malachi. God confronts us when we’re skeptical of His love. Israel had become skeptical of God’s love. They had allowed life’s circumstances to jade their thoughts about God’s love for them. How could God love them; and, allow them to be exiled from the land of promise? How could God love them; and, allow Jerusalem to be destroyed; and, the temple to be leveled? They had allowed their circumstances to blind them to God’s faithful love. We’ll look at God’s answer in our next post.

Ungodly Men & Ungodly Laws!

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-We Don’t Have To Take Care Of Ourselves!

The Old Testament prophet, Daniel, viewed himself as nothing more than God’s humble servant. He didn’t take himself too seriously! He saw himself as just one piece in God’s sovereign plan for the world! Though life circumstances, no doubt, made him fearful at times; fear did not control him! When we get over our fear, we can kind of “let go” & “let God” use us however He wants. I don’t have to take care of myself. God takes care of me! God shows us, in Daniel’s story, how we ought to respond when ungodly men make ungodly laws.

-Bow Down & Worship!

In Daniel, chapter 3, Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, builds a 90’ tall gold statue of himself; and, demands that everyone bow down & worship it; or, be thrown into a fiery furnace. That would be a problem for Daniel’s 3 Hebrew friends— Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah! They had been raised in good Jewish homes. They knew the commandments Yahweh had given to Moses in Exodus 20— “I  am the LORD your God; do not have any other gods besides me; do not make an idol for yourself; You must not bow down to them or worship them.” So, here they were between a rock; and, a hard place! Obey the King & face God’s judgment; or, obey God & face the fiery furnace.

-An Awkward Moment!

Get the picture? There are probably thousands of people, representing all the nations that Babylon had subdued; all, waiting for the sound of the music. They hear it; and, everyone bows down & worships the gold image except 3 men. They had to know that their insubordination wouldn’t go unnoticed. And, it wasn’t:  “Some of the Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse them” (3:8). So, they are made to stand before King Nebuchadnezzar; and, they “…replied to the king, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.  If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up’” (3:16-18).

-God Is Able To Deliver!

Enraged by their insubordination, the king demanded that they be thrown into the furnace. But, they determined to obey God rather than the king; and, trust God to do whatever he willed. They had faith that God was able to deliver them; but, even if He didn’t, they would not bow to the king’s image. There is a great application to take from their example—we need to be careful we don’t make claims for God on His behalf! We may think that God has to respond in a certain way; but, our knowledge is finite! His ways are higher than ours! So, don’t make promises for God that He doesn’t make!

-How Our Story Ends!

We can’t make demands on God about how our personal story ends! They trusted that God would deliver them either by a miracle; or, by death! We have to be careful that our trust in God is not limited to delivery by miracle! Their trust in God was not just tied to delivery from the furnace:  “…EVEN IF He does NOT,” they said, “we won’t bow to false gods!” That’s a gospel response. Sadly, the gospel being preached in the majority of our American churches is all about “me.” It’s man-centered; and, not God-centered! So, if He doesn’t deliver me from the furnace I won’t trust Him! That’s where false teaching begins… with man’s ways! King Nebuchadnezzar took credit for his accomplishments; when, it was God who blessed him with his abilities! I read somewhere that:  “Pride is like plagiarism because it attempts to take for ourselves Glory that belongs to God alone.” God will not share His glory with you! Humble yourself before Him.

An Impossible Situation!

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-When There’s No Happy Ending!

The Prophet Daniel, in the Old Testament book named after him, shows us how to live faithfully; even when life doesn’t have a happy ending! His country overrun by the brutal King Nebuchadnezzar, of Babylon; and, his parents perhaps slain right before his eyes; Daniel, nonetheless, remained faithful! He refused to defile himself by the ungodly culture around him; and, God blessed him for it! The 1st chapter reveals that; after enduring a 3-year period of training intended to indoctrinate him in the ways of the Babylonians, “…no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times better than all the diviner-priests and mediums in his entire kingdom” (1:19-20). 

-Bad Dreams & Insomnia!

The 2nd chapter, of Daniel, opens with a bad dreams; and, a case of insomnia for King Nebuchadnezzar. In v.2, he calls together all his diviner-priests, mediums, and sorcerers; and, gives them an impossible situation— he demands not only the meaning of his dream; but, he also demands that they tell him what he dreamed! Not because he forgot; but, because he was testing them; and, when they couldn’t deliver, he sends an assassin to kill them all.  That’s when God shows us, through Daniel, how to respond to an impossible situation.

-With Tact & Discretion!

The text, v.14, says, “Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion…” as he spoke to the COMMANDER of the king’s guard. In v.16 it says, “…Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, urging them to ask the God of heaven for mercy concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.” Notice that he responded to this impossible situation by taking it to his “faith community”; and, then, praying together until God answered.

-God Is Never Surprised!

It says God, “…revealed the mystery to Daniel in a vision at night.” Daniel shows us how to respond to the impossible situations in life. He lived out his faith— that God was Sovereign! That He was in the details! That He is never surprised! That He’s actually choreographing the impossible situations in life, in time; and, in history for His ultimate purpose! God was revealing Himself to King Nebuchadnezzar! Through Daniel’s story, God shows us how to live a “well done, good & faithful servant” kind of life; even, when the future looks bleak and scary! So, Daniel comes into the king’s presence; and, tells him that God had revealed to him, in his dream, things about the future!

-Give God The Glory!

And, I love Daniel’s humility! He takes no credit; but, he gives God the glory:  “…there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed were these: Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future. The revealer of mysteries has let you know what will happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king & that you may understand the thoughts of your mind” (v.28-30). That’s awesome! “I don’t want you to think that I have the dream & interpretation because I’m smarter than everyone else. This is a God thing, King Nebuchadnezzar! The God of heaven crashed your dreams; and, He’s got big plans to share with you!”

The Greatest Commandment!

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-Your Brother’s Keeper!

Did you know that certain actions or inactions, toward another person or group of persons, can find you guilty, in a court of law, of failing to be your “brother’s keeper”? The Supreme Court has addressed such cases under the “Duty Of Altruism.” Altruism is the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others! So, the failure to give a proper warning to others can be judged as criminal conduct by a court of law! If a company fails to adequately warn of any potential dangers, of its product use, it may be charged as liable for any resulting injuries.

-The Original Crime!

Now, the original such crime was committed by the son of earth’s 1st couple, Adam & Eve, against his brother; when, Cain killed his brother Abel in a rage & then responded to God’s question, as to Abel’s whereabouts, with a sarcastic, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” To which God answered:  “Yes! Yes, you are your brother’s keeper!” When Jesus walked the earth, as God in the flesh, He responded to someone’s question about the greatest commandment by, in a sense, restating God’s answer to Cain when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” Matthew 22:36-40.

-Love God! Love Others!

The greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is a two-parter— 1st to love God with all your heart, soul & mind; and, 2nd to love every person in the same way that you love yourself! In other words, it’s out of the overflow of genuine love for God that we are even capable of loving others the same way that we love ourselves! So, the reverse is also true. If I do not love others, in the same way, that I love myself then I don’t love God with all my heart, soul, and mind.  Jesus says you can’t have one without the other! So, the way of Cain is to “Look out for #1”; but, the way of Jesus is to “Look out for others the same way we look out for self.”

-The Watchmen!

When you read the Old Testament Prophet, Ezekiel, you come to understand that God called His prophets “watchmen.” As watchmen, they were charged, by God, with the responsibility of warning the Jewish people, living in Jerusalem, that the city would fall to an enemy if they did not repent! They didn’t! So, Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar, put the city under siege. But, God, through the Prophet Ezekiel, then pronounced judgment against Babylon; and, 6 other nations that surrounded Israel, because they would not humble themselves before Yahweh! But, then, God gives Ezekiel a new oracle beginning in chapter 33.

-The “Emergency Broadcast System”!

It’s a key transitional chapter; because, the rest of the book, from chapters 34-48, is prophecy related to Israel’s bright future once God has restored the nation to the Promised Land. It begins:  “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, speak to your people and tell them…” So, in context, this word, from the Lord, is for the people, right? In v.7, he continues, “…I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel…” God tells Ezekiel that he was a “watchman” to the people! Long before there was an “Emergency Broadcast System”, the individuals responsible for warning the people of impending danger were the “watchmen”.  And, God intends to convey an obvious prophetic message here:  “To love your neighbor as yourself.”  To warn others of danger is an act of love! That’s what a faithful & alert “watchman” does. The application, for us, seems rather obvious, doesn’t it? Love your neighbor! Tell them when there’s danger!

Spiritual Brokenness!

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-Life’s Painful Events!

God tells us, in His Scriptures, that He will use all of life’s painful events to bring us to the point of spiritual brokenness! Only when we are spiritually broken will He do His spiritual work in us! As long as we’re angry & pride-filled & blaming God for the junk in our life— as Israel did in the Old Testament— we remain unteachable! But, when we humble ourselves; and, look in the mirror of Scripture; and, agree with God that we’re the problem; only, then can He begin to work change in our lives for our good; and, for His glory! 

-Unwilling To Humble Ourselves!

It is because we are generally unwilling to humble ourselves that God choreographs the painful events in life to break us! I remember officiating at a wedding; and, one of the friends, of the bridal party, made a point, after the rehearsal dinner, to pick a theological fight with me; and, tell me how much God had done him wrong! I believe it was the wisdom, of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit, that prompted me to keep my mouth shut! It was not the right time to speak! So, I just listened. But, then he hit me up again after the rehearsal dinner; and, I still said very little. But, the next day, the day of the wedding, he hit me up one more time about how God had wronged him. And, this time I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak! So, I asked him about all the wrongs he had done to God! How he had sinned against Him & stiff-armed God’s attempts to show Him love, grace & mercy! And, I told him I wasn’t really into entertaining anymore of his criticism about God, until he was willing to humble himself and fess up to what he had done to mess up his relationship with God! And, then, I walked away! After the wedding & the reception, as I was leaving, he came up to me—with some humility—and, said, “Maybe we need to get together and talk a little more about this.” And, I said I’d be happy to!

-God Is Not The Problem!

Until we see our brokenness, we’ll always think that God is the problem! That He’s just not fair! Listen, we don’t deserve anything better than we receive! Like Judah, in the book of Jeremiah, we deserve judgment because of our sin! This isn’t just Judah’s story! This is our story also! This is the way that God works! He deals with Judah the way He deals with everyone! “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked,” Galatians 6:7 says, “for whatever a man sows he will also reap.” I find that when people are mad at God over the events in their lives, that it’s typically because they’re reaping the results of their wild oats that they sowed earlier! Not always! But, often that’s the case! Evil delivers its own results!

–The Nail Hole!

Someone said it like this:  “You can pull out the nail from the wall; but, you can’t pull out the nail hole.” God is gracious! And, when you humble yourself before Him He’ll help us live with the “nail hole”; but, He doesn’t remove it! The drunkard, who loses his arm in a horrific accident caused by his drunkenness, will not grow back his arm when he comes to Jesus and accepts Him as his Savior! I will always bear the scars of some of my sinful decisions! And, so will you! But, I’m thankful that God’s Spirit used those things to break me & to humble me so I could get right with Him! Be thankful for the way that God uses life’s painful events to change your heart toward Him! Just open your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31; and, read verses31-40 especially! The Prophet Jeremiah foretells the day when God would make a new covenant with His people; and, by this covenant, He will put His teachings inside them! The Apostle Paul, in his 1st letter to the Corinthian church, tells us that Jesus’ blood sealed that covenant (ch.11)! By His blood, we are changed!

Relationship Humility With God!

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–To Know Him Better!

So, God began to reveal Himself to us in the very beginning, Genesis chapter 1. And, as each page of Scripture is turned, we come to know Him better! It follows that we have to be in the Scriptures if we have any hope of really knowing Him & becoming intimate in a relationship with Him! As we come to the Old Testament of Isaiah, we learn that, for us to have a relationship with God, requires humility on our part! We have to humble ourselves before Him! We need to properly assess ourselves—He is God! I am not! You’re not!

–We’re Not That Awesome!

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God tells us that:  “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (40:6-8). Huh! That means we’re not as awesome as we think we are! God compares us to grass that withers & blows away! We can deceive ourselves with our sense of personal sovereignty; but, only God is ultimately Sovereign! Only God calls the shots!  “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,” Isaiah continues, “or who gave Him His counsel? Who did He consult with? Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?” (40:13-14). Those are all meant to be read as rhetorical questions. The answer, in other words, is obvious! No one has taught or given God anything!

–No Counsel Needed!

God doesn’t need our counsel! Nor, does He need our permission to do anything! When we lift ourselves in pride we become as insignificant as dry grass to Almighty God! But, when we humble ourselves as Jesus did, we enter into a relationship with the Father. Jesus asked the Father to remove His death, on the cross, from His earthly path. But, He ultimately submitted to the Father’s will in humility! God also gave these words to Isaiah to record:  “I am Yahweh, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens by Myself; who alone spread out the earth; who destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of diviners; who confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness” (44:24-25). We need to humble ourselves before Almighty God! Don’t be so sure of yourself! Rather, be sure of Him; because a relationship with God requires His help. We can’t even relate to God without His help! Our sinfulness & depravity get in the way! We’re hopeless & helpless without Him! Be humble about that!  We can neither save ourselves; nor, can we keep ourselves saved! He is our help! He is our strength when we admit that we are powerless.

-The Everlasting God!

Inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, Isaiah also wrote:  “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint” (40:28-31) God never sleeps nor slumbers! He never takes a day off or goes on vacation! He’s always available to help! He is the Creator and the Sustainer of everything! Why do we insist on living for ourselves; and, trying to fix life’s problems all by ourselves? That’s faithless! God is big enough to carry our load; and, the other 7 billion people circling the sun with us! Throw your weight on Him! He is the everlasting God!

What A Fool Says About God!

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-The “Angry Theist”!

Do you know what a fool says about God? A fool says that God doesn’t exist! That’s the claim of the Old Testament book of Proverbs:  “The fool says in his heart, ‘God does not exist” (Proverbs 14:1). He’s a fool because he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know! And, most often, in my experience, I’ve found that the person who claims to be an atheist is just an “angry theist.” In his heart he knows there’s a God; but, he’s mad at Him over something that happened in his life; and, he blames God for it. So, he refuses to yield to God’s Sovereignty.

-Authentic Wisdom!

Authentic wisdom grows as we learn to fear God! So, the fool, who doesn’t believe God exists, can never become a truly wise person! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but, fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). Let’s talk about the fear of the Lord; because, unfortunately, I’ve found that it confuses some people. Keep in mind our word “fear” is translated from the original Hebrew language that the Old Testament was written in. And, sometimes, in translation work, there just isn’t an adequate word in one language to properly express the meaning in another. That’s the case, here, with the word “fear.” This is not the kind of fear we might have of a snake; or, going to the dentist or doctor; or, of some extreme danger. This “fear” is more of awe or reverence of great respect!

–The Fear Of God!

If you play a little basketball, to “fear” LeBron James is to have such awe or respect for who he is & for his incredible abilities that you couldn’t bring yourself to stand beside him on a basketball court.  To “fear” God means you’re awed that He has such power that He could speak the world into existence! To “fear” Him is to honor Him with such respect that you want to know Him! You want to know what He’s said in His word so you can be in proper standing & relationship with Him! When you truly come to understand what it means to fear Him, you’ll no longer fear anything or anyone else! He’s that awesome! The more you humble yourself before Him, the more you’ll desire to learn from Him!  And, in that way, you’ll grow in wisdom according to the book of Proverbs! The authentic wisdom, of God, will expose you, however, if you’re a fool! If you’re an unbeliever! If you deny His existence! Because, remember, that, “…FOOLS despise the wisdom & discipline…” of the Lord, Solomon says (1:7).

–2 Kinds Of Wisdom!

There are only 2 kinds of wisdom! There is God’s wisdom; as recorded in the words of Scripture! And, there is the “wisdom” of sinful man which is always contrary to God’s wisdom. If God’s wisdom says, “don’t cheat, steal, lie or sleep with someone you’re not married to”; the world’s “wisdom” says, “Go ahead and cheat, steal & lie… just don’t get caught.” Oh, and, “sleep with anyone you want to! It’s okay as long as you love them.” The absence of God in the so-called “wisdom” of the world is ultimately its fatal flaw! The world’s “wisdom” is always a moving target! It changes with the times & societal more’s. But, the wisdom of God is immutable; like, He is! It never changes because He never changes! He will always be what He’s always been! Wisdom is not just a “way of life”; it’s the way “to life”— to life everlasting with God! In His wisdom; and, His love for us, He speaks His gospel of peace to us:  “Quit your rebellion,” He says, “confess your sin to Me! Quit fighting & waging war against Me! I offer you peace through the blood of Jesus & His work on the cross for you! Don’t be a FOOL any longer! Come to Me! I give you love, mercy & grace!”

Thinking Right About God!

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-The Most Important Thing About You?

What comes to your mind if I ask you:  “What is the #1 most important thing about you?” Ponder that a moment! What is the #1 most important thing about you? Here it is:  “What comes into your mind when you think about God is the #1 most important thing about you.” The heaviest question, in front of us, is always about God Himself! And, our current pluralistic, relativistic, narcissistic, politically correct “culture” shows little to no regard for the accuracy & truth of the God impressions we have floating around in our little self-absorbed minds! “You’re OK & I’m OK” as long as you don’t tell me that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to God! “Whatever you believe about God is OK as long as you VALIDATE what I believe about Him.”  “You have your truth & I have mine.” Those are ultimately idolatrous statements, aren’t they? Any belief about God that is twisted or inaccurate is “idolatry”—they’ve made up their own god in their own image!

-God Has Left The Building!

I love what A.W. Tozer said many years ago before the world was even close to being as religiously inclusivist as it is today:  “The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.”  And, listen church, the trickle-down from the cultural idolatry & false thinking, about God, is so pervasive in our civilization that it’s made inroads into the church! In most of our mainline denominations, God has “left the building”; because, “the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.” A.W. Tozer said that too! That’s the post-modern world that we live in, isn’t it? There are no “absolutes” in the world of 2021; and, it’s sad the depths, of foolishness, an unregenerate & hopelessly lost world will go to silence that inner voice of God’s Holy Spirit.

-God Is Not Silent!

Listen, God is not silent! He has not created this place; and, then went off to some corner of the universe to hide out & see what happens! God is alive & well; and, the rumors of His death have been greatly exaggerated! God’s Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to pen these words, in his letter to the Church of Rome. He says the unbelieving world will suppress the truth, “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them (It’s INNATE), for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God…” Romans 1:19-21.  Scripture insists that everyone knows there’s a God! There is an “internal witness” or evidence! It’s innate! Everyone, in their heart, knows there is a God! They simply suppress the truth! And, there’s also the “external witness”; or, the evidence of creation, Paul says, in this passage from Romans.

–Truth Suppressers!

The unbeliever, who refuses to humble himself & admit he can’t know everything there is to know about an eternal God, rejects Him & suppresses the truth about Him! He comes up with all sorts of theories that masquerade as science; but, they’re all lies. So, the answer to the #1 most important thing about you? It’s what comes into your mind when you think about God! And, the consequences, about your thoughts of God, will impact both the quality of your life here & for eternity! Your life will prove to be successful as you pursue the wisdom of God; and, reject the seductive distractions of the world. That requires a leap of faith—not a BLIND leap of faith; because, God has buried evidence of Himself, inside you! The “internal” evidence! And, He’s also left His fingerprints all over the created world & universe! The “external” evidence! So, how do we think rightly about God? Where do we start? We’ll get into that next post!

Don’t Be A Fool!

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-Wisdom Waits On God!

The fool is always in a fight! The fool always thinks it his responsibility to make all the wrongs right! Don’t do that, the Old Testament book of Proverbs says! Instead, wisdom waits on God to right all the wrongs! So, don’t be quick to open your mouth and speak! I used to be the one that always had to speak first! It’s still something I have to constantly work on! But, I had a friend many years ago that rebuked me. “Don’t give someone a piece of your mind,” he said, “that you can’t afford to lose.”

-The 3-Second Rule!

Someone also gave me some great advice when they shared, with me, the “3-Second Rule.” Before you speak, wait 3 seconds. You’ll be amazed what you WON’T say if you just wait and think about it for 3 seconds. That one’s kept me from saying a lot of things that would’ve got me in trouble. The best admonition of all comes from God’s word: “Be slow to speak.” Simple and direct! The book of Proverbs includes several verses that echo that refrain. “When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise” (10:19). And, “The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin” (13:3). Wow! Opening your mouth too quickly can mean life or death! “Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent” (17:28). That reminds me of the old saying:  “It’s better to be silent & be thought a fool than to open your mouth & remove all doubt.”

-Be Humble & God-Directed!

Rather than being filled with pride & speaking your mind, it’s better to be humble & God-directed. Make no mistake, if you’re full of pride, it will show up in your speech & God says He’s against you! Again, wisdom from Proverbs:  “Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished” 16:5; “The Lord destroys the house of the proud” 15:25. Let’s talk about that a minute! Why does God hate pride? Because, ultimately, pride is taking personal credit for something that God gave you! “What do you have,” the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “that you did not receive.” In other words, what do you have that you can personally take credit for?

-Self-Pride & Self-Confidence!

What do you have that you didn’t receive from God? Your looks? Intelligence? Your job & its income? Your talents & gifts? Every one of those things you received from God. Taking pride in yourself & even having self-confidence is part of the wisdom of the world! There is no wisdom in pride or self-confidence! Wisdom is found in those whose confidence is in the Lord:  “I have instructed you today—even you—so that your confidence may be in the Lord” (Proverbs 22:19). When you’re complimented for anything, you need to redirect all praise to God! And, then, the wisdom of Proverbs teaches us to be generous for the same reason it’s wise to be humble! Because all of our finances were also given to us by God.

-Be A Blessing!

And, God wants us to be a blessing to others with those things He blesses us with. “The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors Him” (14:31).   Isn’t that interesting? It’s an insult to God when we’re guilty of oppressing the poor; but, we honor God when we care for the needy! “A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (22:9).  This is just one of many ways that God’s word teaches us to encourage others! And, wisdom teaches us to also be an encourager. We live in a day of severe criticism & tearing down everyone that disagrees with us about something. This world is just saturated with anxiety! We need to be difference-makers in this world, church! “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up” (12:25) “The tongue that heals is a tree of life” (15:4). Be wise! Be an encourager! Be that tree of life! Use your God-given gifts to bless others!

Praise God!

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-Your Deepest, Darkest Secret!

Do you realize that you really can be honest with God about everything! Even the deepest, darkest secrets— that you’re reluctant to share with anyone— you can share with God! You can tell Him everything! He already knows how you feel; so, just be honest with Him! Be transparent with Him— “Lord, I know I shouldn’t feel like this; but, I do! Help me!” And, when He answers your prayer, offer Him praise! That’s the pattern we see in Scripture! For example, the writer of Psalm 30 says:  “LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me” (v.2).  King David wrote that Psalm. He cried to God for help & God answered!

-Don’t Put Limitations On God!

And, don’t limit your understanding of God’s healing to the physical. There is a spiritual & emotional part of you also! And, there are times when life is so painful that we need God’s healing in all three—physically, spiritually & emotionally! Perhaps David is alluding to some pain that was self-induced by his sin because he speaks of God’s anger a couple of verses later:  “Sing to Yahweh, you, His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning” (30:4).  And, he concludes this Psalm with this praise to God:  “You turned my lament into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness so that I can sing to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise You forever” (30:11-12). 

-Don’t Depend On Improved Circumstances!

What began as a Psalm of lament, David says, God has turned into dancing! And, for that He praises God! We need God’s help to speak the gospel into every negative situation of our life! God will redeem it all! Just remember that our worst day in heaven, with Him, will still be better than our best day in this life! Keep things in perspective! Don’t depend on your circumstances to improve! They may! But, they may not! But, God is faithful even when the circumstances are not! Depend on Him regardless of your circumstances.

-Brokenness Into Dancing!

By Jesus’ work on the cross, God removes the great canyon between Himself & us— that our sin created— and, He turns our brokenness into dancing! Offer Him praise! So, be honest with him about your suffering! But, don’t stop there! Be honest with Him about your sin; because He forgives! And, then, praise Him for that! Praise Him for forgiveness! There is no bigger burden you can carry through life than your sin! Again, it’s David who writes the 32nd Psalm out of deep shame & guilt over his sin! But, he no longer lives under the weight of his sin!

-Experience Forgiveness!

He’s experienced forgiveness! Look at the start of his psalm:  “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2). Do you lack joy in your life? Is it because you’re haunted by your past sins? They can be forgiven! God gladly forgives sin & covers it by the shed blood of His Son, Jesus, on the cross! But, forgiveness comes when we get honest with God! No more deceit, David says here! We have to own our sins! Own our misdeeds! Then, we have to humble ourselves before God & agree with Him that we’re guilty of sin. That’s what David says next:  “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat” (v.3). Our unconfessed sin even harms our health! So, ask God to forgive! He will!