“Humility and patience are the surest proofs of the increase of love.”
Category Archives: Living Well
Pride and Humility Part 1
Pride Renounced
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“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23
In a world that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness, humility is not considered to be an asset. In the secular realm, it may be a matter of poor self-esteem. However, in the Christian domain, it is recognition of who we are before God and a willingness to sacrifice what we have been given to serve our Lord as well as our fellow man. People who are truly humble are usually readily identifiable and we are drawn to them. They are warm and care about others. It is a contrast to those who are proud and often self-absorbed.
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I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master.
Deliberate Pursuit
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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12
I’ve watched several people die…it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. The closer you are to them, the harder it is. The longer it takes, the more time you have to think. That time and that pondering offer an opportunity for personal reflection in a way that no other experience does. As someone you love is on the brink of entering eternity, what is important in life seems to be much clearer than when we are in the daily race meeting deadlines and running errands, etc. Knowing that a loved one will shortly meet their Lord and God allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us and apply God’s word to our lives in ways that drive home His message with more depth and understanding. In short, it is a wake-up call to pursue a life well lived…that is, to live intentionally rather than passively.
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We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.
El Qanna – Jealous God
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“For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” Exodus 34:14
The context of Exodus 34 is that Moses is on Mount Sinai for the second time to receive God’s commandments. While he was with Jehovah the first time, the Israelites got impatient and made a golden calf to worship. After dealing with their sin and interceding on their behalf, he is once again with God.
It’s one thing to be described by another as jealous. However, to not only declare yourself as jealous, but to also bear it as a name seems to be extreme. Yet that is exactly what God does when He meets Moses for a second time. For us to consider this as extreme, harsh or even a bit wrong would be an incorrect stance.
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Divine jealousy is thus a zeal to protect a love relationship or to avenge it when it is broken. Jealousy in God is that passionate energy by which He is provoked and stirred and moved to take action against whatever or whoever stands in the way of His enjoyment of what He loves and desires. The intensity if God’s anger at threats to this relationship is directly proportionate to the depths of His love… Jealousy in God is not a “green-eyed monster” but a “red-faced lover” who will brook no rivals in His relationship with His people.
Sam Storms
Pleasures Evermore: The Life-Changing Power of Knowing God (NavPress – www.navpress.org, 2000), 295
Pleasures Evermore: The Life-Changing Power of Knowing God (NavPress – www.navpress.org, 2000), 295
Trouble, Anguish and Understanding Pt. 3
Anguish Within Mixed With Delight
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“Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” Psalm 119:143-144
Anguish is the inward response to trouble. For those with a balanced perspective, anguish is reserved for extreme circumstances. The Hebrew word used is derived from the word for a narrow place. Therefore, in this context, the connotation is a place of confinement or disability. That’s exactly what anguish does to us mentally; it makes us feel hemmed in and incapacitated. It is both suffocating and immobilizing. Even so, the writer of Psalm 119 expresses delight in God’s commands when faced with trials. While at first blush it may seem odd to experience both anguish and delight in the same circumstance, as Christians, there are several reasons to be delighted in dire situations.
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Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.
Trouble, Anguish and Understanding Pt. 2
Trouble Without
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“Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” Psalm 119:143-144
Trouble…it seems like a simple enough word to understand. However, when looking at definitions from secular sources, those provided were vague and had more to do with how trouble affects our comfort level or convenience rather than anything significant. In contrast, “Vine’s Bible Dictionary” states it clearly as: tribulation or affliction. Trouble comes in many forms. At times it is the result of a personal attack while at other times it is and “random”/general attack that we’re caught in. It may be an external threat or an internal one such as mental or physical illness. The point is that, as those living in a fallen world, we are going to experience trouble throughout our lives from the trivial to the monumental. We will enjoy a more peaceful existence if we learn to view it as God does and trust that He is ever faithful to care for us. One of the mental hurdles for us is that from our perspective, God’s care for us appears to be inconsistent.
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