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I Will
This week's focus: Obedience
“Be humble, or you’ll stumble” is a catchphrase that reminds us of the danger of pride. However, the Bible warns us that we will do more than stumble when we read Proverbs 16:18; “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
In Isaiah 14:12, we see this proverb in action when Satan fell like lightning out of Heaven when pride was found in his heart,
“How you have fallen from Heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!"
Instead of praising God and thanking Him for all that he had, arrogant “I will” thoughts captured his mind and led to a disastrous downfall,
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit" (Isaiah 13-15).
These self-seeking, prideful thoughts should serve as a warning not to celebrate what the Bible condemns, but instead, we should humble ourselves and trust our Heavenly Father. 1 Peter 5:6 says it best, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you."
As God’s children, our “I will” declarations should sound more like this:
“I will praise You. I will worship You. I will trust You. I will bless You. I will study Your commandments. I will reflect on Your ways. I will give thanks. I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. I will fear no evil. I will not be shaken….”
The antidote for pride is praise, gratitude, and humility. Instead of wanting our way, our desire should be to trust and obey. Why? Because God knows what’s best for us (if we could see everything from His perspective, His will would always be our will). Jesus, the Son of God, understood this and showed us 1 Peter 5:6 in action—and the results of obedience.
“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).
As Christians who Jesus has redeemed, we can be thankful that we have all eternity to thank Him for choosing to say “I will” to God the Father’s plan.
by: Jennifer McAlister for My Faith Votes
1 Peter 5:6
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you."
Prayer Points:
Pray: Dear Lord, You are worthy of all our praise, obedience, and adoration. Please increase our faith to always trust and obey You. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Think: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it."– C.S. Lewis
Act: More than ever, the church needs to trust and obey. We recently talked with Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ about his new filmed called The Sound of Freedom released July 4. Jim is asking for your help to achieve his goal of bringing the eye-opening film to 2 million people—one for each of the 2 million trafficked children talked about in the movie. Watch our brief video conversation
We want to see God honored in America, and we pray for an unprecedented spiritual awakening.
This devotion was produced in partnership with Every Home for Christ.
This ministry is made possible by the generous support of friends like you.