Devotion
Think your free from pride? Think again!
David Jacobs
Imagine a proud person. Are they rich? Perhaps they are in a position of power or prestige that commands respect everyone around them. Or perhaps they take pride in their beauty or looks. But this is only an image of pride. In fact, pride is a human condition that we cannot escape, even if we lack all of these things.
Knowing this, the narratives of the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize the dangers of pride. For example, Saul, who was revealed to be God's chosen leader of Israel, is described as handsome and impressive. Scripture even says that he was without equal among the Israelites (1 Samuel 9:2). God promised to guide him and provide the powerful help of the Holy Spirit in leading the nation. You can see how this might go to someone's head.
Yet, Saul was meant to follow the instructions of God in his role as leader. Due to his pride, he failed in this. He acted as if he was in charge rather than God, and as a result he crumbled under the pressure of leadership rather than be obedient to God.
As Christians, we are all in a similar situation to Saul, being chosen to belong to God's family. God has given His Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that He can use us to empower His plans for the world. When our pride gets in the way of this, we fail in our purpose. God's command is that we put away our pride allow Him to be our guide by humbling ourselves before Him, confessing our sin, and asking for His help in overcoming it.
Prayer
God, I am prideful. I confess my pride to you, because alone I am not able to overcome it. I recognize that your plan comes first, and so I humble myself before you. I will not walk my own path, but the one that you have laid out for me, and I ask for the guidance of your Holy Spirit.
Devotion
We will Do It
Why do you obey
Frances Taylor
Moses came down from the mountain and told the people what the Lord had commanded. They all said, Okay! No problem! As we shall see in a few days, that didn't last long. The Israelites said yes over and over to God, and then said, no, over and over again. So much like us! It's a good thing God forgives us over and over again. It is always interesting to read the full account of the commandments and their amplified meaning in Exodus, because it gives an idea of what the civilization was like in those days. The commandments were not all totally new as many of them were based on the code of Hammurabi. The first three commandments were new as they listed the proper behavior towards God. The other seven concerned social behavior and social structure. So, what's the difference between Hammurabi's code and the Ten Commandments other than the first three? The difference is in the why. We don't obey the commandments because they promote civility...
Morning Prayer
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
Inspiration
Our mouths may be filled with all sorts; idle chatter, gossip, news, profanities or slander. Yet it would be best of all to fill it with praise and love. God gave us our voices to not only communicate, but to choose our words wisely. Don't use it to injure or babble, but to spread his gospel and praise.
Prayer
Lord Almighty I exalt your name on earth as in Heaven. Grant me the wisdom and the will to spread your name and deeds, to use my voice for beauty and truth rather than lies and disparagement. Grant me this Lord, in your holy name I pray, Amen.
