Trading Fierce Independence

Glynnis Whitwer

"Elisha said, 'Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few.'" 2 Kings 4:3 (NIV 2011)

Problems. I prefer to keep them to myself. Being fiercely independent, my instinct is to slam the cellar door shut at the first sign of high winds. In other words, no one's getting in until the storm is past. I'll let God in, no problem. But you — I keep out.

Over the years, God has challenged me on this independent approach, calling it was it is: pride.

It's not overt arrogance, but by keeping others at a distance, it implies I'm all-sufficient and don't need your help. Plus, the insecure little girl in me worries that if you see weakness in my life, you'll question my competency. As so, I've kept to myself, creating a prideful façade of control.

A True Story To Demonstrate The Danger of 'Cracks' in Your Life

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. -- 1 Corinthians 10:12

There is an incredible story from history that demonstrates the danger of "cracks" in your spiritual life. The story comes from the city of Sardis, where one of the seven churches in the book of Revelation was located (see Revelation 3:1-6).

The city of Sardis was located very high on top of sheer cliffs that were almost impossible to climb. Because of their city's high and remote location, the residents believed it couldn't be penetrated or taken captive by a foreign enemy. It was this overconfidence that led to the demise of Sardis on more than one occasion.

Because those who lived in Sardis believed they were impenetrable, they felt sure that foreign aggressors couldn't make war on them. As a result, they became proud, cocky, overconfident, lazy, and complacent. As this apathy took over, the residents smugly concluded that there was no other city as secure as theirs. As a result of this haughty attitude, they stopped giving attention to the foundations and walls of their spiraling city. Thus, while the people's pride and overconfidence kept growing stronger and stronger over the years, they failed to notice that the foundations and walls of their city had begun to deteriorate and form massive cracks at the base of the walls. 

WHOLENESS AND HOLINESS

 John 5:9b-15  The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.' " So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. (NIV)

 
It is always disappointing when religious people are upset when God works unexpectedly. A paralysed man, disabled for thirty-eight years, had just been healed; and the religious people disapproved because it happened on their holy day. They believed that no work should be done on a holy day and that carrying a bed roll was work: therefore they considered that the man had defiled the Sabbath and must be unholy. But in fact it was Jesus who commanded him to do it as a sign that he had been made whole - thirty-eight years of profound disability had come to an end.

The Success Test

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deut. 8:18).

Muhammad Ali is considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He won 56 of his 61 professional fights and knocked out 37 opponents. His most famous catchphrase was, "I am the greatest!"

One day, Ali was seated in an airplane when the flight attendant came up the aisle to make sure that all the passengers had their seatbelts fastened. Reaching Ali's seat, she asked him to buckle up.

"Hmph!" the champ sneered. "Superman don't need no seatbelt!"

OUR VULNERABILITY

Luke 22:31, 32 

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail

It is critical that Christians understand their vulnerability to demonic influence. Those who say a demon cannot influence a believer's life have left us with only two possible culprits for the problems we face: ourselves or God. If we blame ourselves, we feel hopeless because we can't do anything to stop what we're doing. If we blame God, our confidence in Him as our benevolent Father is shattered. Either way, we have no chance to gain the victory which the Bible promises us. In reality we are in a winnable war against the defeated kingdom of darkness. But the lies of Satan can gain a measure of control if we believe them.

 What right did Satan have to sift Simon (Peter) like wheat? The context reveals that Peter and the other disciples were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. In other words, they were exercising pride. Sinful pride affords Satan a huge opportunity. Peter protested that he was willing to die or go to prison for the sake of Christ. But Jesus told him that, before the day was over, Peter would deny Him three times, and he did.

OBADIAH - The Man Who Prophesied Disaster

Obadiah [Ōba dī'ah]—servant or worshiper of Jehovah. Among the Semitic peoples many names, such as the one before us, were common, occurring frequently in the Old Testament. Little or nothing is known about the Obadiahs of the Bible, but the name has also been found on an ancient Hebrew seal.

1. The pious governor of Ahab’s palace who hid one hundred of Jehovah’s prophets (1 Kings 18:3-16).
2. The founder of a family of the lineage of David(1 Chron. 3:21).
3. A man of Issachar of the family of Tola (1 Chron. 7:3).
4. Son of Azel, a descendant of king Saul (1 Chron. 8:38; 9:44).
5. Son of Shemaiah, a Levite of Netophah (1 Chron. 9:16).
6. A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chron. 12:9).
7. Father of Ishmaiah, prince of Zebulun in David’s time (1 Chron. 27:19).
8. A prince of Judah, sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the people (2 Chron. 17:7).
9. A Levite, one of the overseers of the workmen who repaired the Temple in Josiah’s time (2 Chron. 34:12).
10. Son of Jehiel, a descendant of Joab who returned from exile with Ezra (Ezra 8:9).
11. A priest who, on behalf of his father’s house, sealed the covenant (Neh. 10:5).
12. A Levite, founder of a family of sanctuary porters (Neh. 12:25).
13. The prophet of Judah who lived over 550 years before Christ (Obad. 1).

Thorn Ministry

Written by Marsha Pope

Take today’s next step: Are you a writer? We are always on the lookout for new authors to add to our devotional writing team. Learn more and apply here.

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

This opportunity to write devotionals has by far been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve been so richly blessed by those that have shared how the devotionals have blessed their lives and how they’ve shared them with friends and family. My greatest hope is that God would be glorified and that His people will be blessed by what I write.

Serving God in a Dry Season

J. LEE GRADY

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(© Jasenka | Stock Free Images )

While Hurricane Sandy’s floods dominated recent weather headlines, a very different weather pattern has cost us more than the superstorm’s $50 billion in damages. The United States actually needs rain—and lots of it. 

Forecasters say our nation is experiencing its worst drought since 1954. As of this week, 60.1 percent of the nation is in drought, with six states—Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado and Iowa—entirely in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Lakes are drying up, crops are dying and ranchers are scrambling to feed their cows. 

Some people figure this prolonged dry spell is just the result of cyclical climate patterns. Maybe so, but the Bible suggests that droughts and famines can be linked to spiritual realities. Sometimes the natural world reflects our spiritual condition. Man’s pride, greed, injustice and idolatry can actually disturb nature.

SATAN’S TACTIC OF PRIDE

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5
We each have to come to terms with Satan's deadliest tactic, which the Bible calls pride. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has promulgated The Great Lie: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5b). We all must learn to overcome pride, which was Satan’s own initial sin and which is his pervasive and repetitive tactic against us.

In Proverbs 6:17, “haughty eyes” are first on the list of the seven things that are an “abomination” to God. Proverbs 27:2 adds, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.” Christ spoke of pride in Luke 18:14 when He instructs, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Over and over again, we are reminded in the Bible of God’s utter disdain for a prideful spirit.

Those Exceptions of Life

2 Kings 5:1–14

Is your life happy . . . except for one thing? Perhaps you enjoy a loving marriage, a beautiful home and financial ease . . . except you suffer from infertility. Maybe you have graduated with a master’s degree, founded a business and are in top physical condition . . . except your parents are getting divorced. If you compiled a list of all the positives in your life, what would you include? I have great friends; I’m an accomplished pianist; I’ve inherited a green thumb. But what disrupts your sense of well-being? All of us possess at least one “except” that gets in the way of our happiness.
An unnamed slave girl experienced some poignant “excepts” in her young life. She was one of God’s chosen people. She had faith in God . . . except she was a captive of war in a foreign land. The good news: She found herself in the household of a commander of the army.

Do You Have "I" Issues?

By Jennifer Rothschild

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 (NIV)

In the late '70s I sat with my folks in a hospital room in the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. The doctors who had just completed tests on my eyes were explaining what it meant to have retinitis pigmentosa. They described how I would slowly lose my remaining sight and eventually be totally blind. My mind raced and my heart welled with confusing emotions. I was silent in that hospital room that day.

A few days later at my next visit, I only wish I had been silent.

We went back to the same room with some of the same doctors. This time it was to help me get on a rehabilitative program. One doctor described how large, thick glasses might help with the little vision I still had. Another discussed walking with a cane. Another doctor told me how important it was for me to have an oversized magnifying glass and advised me to use a flashlight to find my locker at school.

One Year After The Affair

Seven years ago today, everything changed. With four words, I cost my wife, family and so many around me what seemed like everything.

“I’m having an affair.”

With those words, my sin was exposed and life as we knew it came to an end. Over the next two days, God would crush my pride, give me a heart of repentance and lead me to an amazing Christian counselor.

Joel Osteen Comments on 'Con Artist' Televangelists, Politics and Homosexuality

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter

June 7, 2012

Pastor Joel Osteen recently shared with a Colorado news station how he believes he stands out from other Christian leaders who solicit donations through television ministries, as well as his views on politics and homosexuality.

While acknowledging in the June 5 interview with news reporter Ron Zappolo that some people are often turned off by evangelism, especially due to televangelists who request money while preaching on TV, the Lakewood Church pastor insisted he was different.

"I try to be just the opposite. I try to be myself. That's why on television, I never ask for money. I try to be the opposite," Osteen said.

The popular pastor and author went on to say that he doesn't ask for money on television "because I realize people are thinking, when they flip you on to begin with, they're thinking 'he's after my money, he's a con artist.' You know, you have to overcome that, but I believe that sincerity comes through when people realize you're just trying to help them live a better life."

What Did You Say?

Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Friend to Friend

Fruit is one of my favorite foods. When I go grocery shopping, it always takes me longer to get through the fruit section than any other area of the store. I spend what some might consider a ridiculously long time picking out what I hope will be the juiciest apples, the plumpest grapes and sweetest bananas. Experience has taught me to quickly discard any piece of fruit that is bruised, mushy or discolored. I shake cantaloupe and thump watermelons. Ripe strawberries have a unique sweet scent and only the reddest cherries will do. Plums and tomatoes must be firm to the touch, bright in color and wrinkle-free while the more wrinkles the better when it comes to choosing passion fruit.

Earth Day Thoughts for Christians

From Dean Ohlman

Sunday, April 22, will be the 42nd Earth Day. I celebrated the 1st one in 1970 with the then typical “conservative” scoffing. I celebrated the 20th one in 1990 manning a booth for my fledgling organization, the Christian Nature Federation, at Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County, California. And Providence placed us right next to the Captain Planet “Save the Earth” stage show developed and funded by Ted Turner; so parents and grandparents who took their kids and grandkids to that crassly humanistic theatrical production had only to look a little to the left to see our huge banner: “Save the Earth: Honor its Creator.”

The Temple Courts: Shake Us Up, Lord!

Dr. Ray Pritchard

“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17).

Jesus would not put up with some things.

We have seen over and over again his compassion for the hurting and his outreach to the forgotten. He cares for those the world forgets.