Pride Comes Before a Fall

"Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones."


Proverbs 3:7-8



Today's devotional verse was a reminder for me...a reminder to remain humble.  When we forget who we are in Christ, allowing our own pride and wisdom to go to our head, then we are setting ourselves  up for failure and His divine discipline. 

Matthew 23:12 is one of my favorite Scriptures.  It says, "But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."  Pride is sin.  Pride lead to man's downfall.  Pride is thinking of oneself better than others, exalting yourself over others, living for yourself, and demanding your way over God's.  There is no justification for pride if we follow Jesus.  Yet there are so many who follow Christ who hang on to pride.  Pride is a human thing and sometimes difficult for us to recognize within ourselves.  But in order to wholly experience Christ, we must place our pride at the foot of the Cross!

To date, I've written several blogs concerning pride and humility.  I see it in myself at times...and despise it.  I see it in others as well...and despise it.  Pride dictates its own way, divides Believers, and corrupts hearts.  And worst of all, because pride is "all about me," it causes major interference between us and God.  Psalm 138:6 says, "Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,but he keeps his distance from the proud."  God hates pride.  So He distances Himself from it.  And if you are full of yourself, then there is no room for Him anyway!  But not only will God distance Himself, so will others.  No one likes being around someone who is prideful.  Sometimes we may not even recognize the pride in ourselves, but others do.  It may take some serious soul-searching honesty on our part to recognize our own pride, confront it, repent it, and eradicate it.  But with God's help, we can overcome. 


We can make a concious choice to be humble.  We can make a concious choice to surrender our pride to Christ - each and every minute of the day if we must! 

The benefits for remaining humble are eternal.  But so are the consequences of pride.

"For the Lord delights in his people;he crowns the humble with victory."  (Psalm 149:4)... "The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord.The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 29:18) and "The humble will see their God at work and be glad.Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged."  Psalm 69:32


Grace and peace, friends!  Happy Friday!
In His Love, Cathy

Psalms of Hope

In His Name the nations will have hope.

Matthew 12:21

Do you have hope? 

Where do you place your hope? 

Is it in money, relationships, success, career, or things?

Examine your heart.  Ask yourself where you place your hope.  Unsure?  Then look at your actions...do they reflect a trust and hope in God or do they reflect misplaced hope in the things of this world?

No matter how hopeless things seem, we HAVE HOPE in Jesus Christ!  God has promised this hope throughout Scripture.

Feeling hopeless?  Then claim these promises in the Name of Christ:

• But the needy will not be ignored forever;the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
  Psalm 9:18
• Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
  
  Psalm 10:17
• Lead me by your truth and teach me,for you are the God who saves me.All day long I put my hope in you.  Psalm 25:5
• May integrity and honesty protect me,for I put my hope in you.  Psalm 25:21
• So be strong and courageous,all you who put your hope in the Lord!  Psalm 31:24
• We put our hope in the Lord.He is our help and our shield.  Psalm 33:20
• Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,for our hope is in you ALONE.  Psalm 33:22
• And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?My only hope is in you.  Psalm 39:7
• Why am I discouraged?Why is my heart so sad?I will put my hope in God!I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!  Psalm 42:5

Our hope can be found in Christ ALONE.  Sometimes we claim that we have placed our hope in Christ, but when we look beneath the surface of that claim we might just be surprised to find we have a divided heart on the matter of hope.  It's so much easier to hope in the things we can touch, see, or control ourselves.  It is far more difficult for us to place our hope in the unseen and yield to the Unseen (Christ).  Yet, if we are to find true hope in Christ, we cannot be of a divided heart...we must put our hope in Christ alone!

In His Love, Cathy

All In

"O LORD, come back to us!

How long will you delay?

Take pity on your servants!

Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,

so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!

Replace the evil years with good.

Let us, your servants, see you work again;

let our children see your glory.

And may the Lord our God show us his approval

and make our efforts successful.

Yes, make our efforts successful!"

Psalm 90:13-17

If you have seen lean years, difficult years, make this your heart's cry: that God will replace the lean years with fat ones, allow you see God at work again, satisfy you with his unfailing love, and make your efforts successful. There's nothing wrong with this kind of prayer; it's in Scripture! God wants us to seek him in this way. Perhaps he waits until we do it with our whole heart before he'll answer.—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions


2010 was a lean year for us in so many ways.  But it wasn't just 2010, it was a series of the last few years that have been challenging, heartbreaking at times, and seemed to just go against us.  Though we were abundantly blessed and God provided in so many ways, they were also filled with experiences that we'd never faced before - the loss of loved ones, Scott's Dad's declining condition, my Dad's health, broken relationships, the first of our children leaving the nest, etc...  As we face 2011 this is my prayer...that the lean years of the past be replaced by fat ones where we can see God working once again in our lives!  And though I know there are still tough times ahead of us,  I have hope - hope in a God of unfailing love and unending mercy.  I know He is there even in the fiery trials of this life. 

So even if 2011 is another lean year, we can trust God with it and in it.  Circumstances and problems should never dictate or disrupt our relationship with God.  Instead, a healthy relationship with God should dictate to our circumstances and problems.  If we are 'all in' for God, then we can face the lean years with confidence that He will see us through it.

God is 'all in' for us - He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to die so that we could be saved!  He desires only the best for us.  But we must also be 'all in' for God.  Are you?
In His Love, Cathy

In The Beginning...

In the beginning God...   Genesis 1:1

In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

 God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

John 1:1-3

Are you tired of New Year resolutions that don't stick?  Are you sick of feeling like a failure because it's only the second day into 2011 and you've already blown it?  Then read on, friend.  You are not alone.

Here we are once again.  The start of another brand new year.  And with the arrival of this new year comes the promise of a fresh start, new opportunities, and renewed hope.  And of course, who could forget, a new set of resolutions to kick off the New Year.

Resolutions are good intentions, goals we intend to keep to make us better people - to improve our lives and the lives of others in our sphere of influence.  Now there is nothing wrong with having resolutions or goals.  There are times that goals and resolutions are absolutely necessary in this life. 

However this year, God is leading me in a different direction when it comes to establishing New Year's Resolutions.  You see, no matter how good our intentions, we often fail in our resolution to keep our New Year resolutions.  Some resolutions are broken more quickly than others - sometimes just within days of the new year.  In retrospect, there were many resolutions I made last year that I did keep.  However, there were some that were an EPIC FAIL! 

So yesterday, as I began reflecting over last year's resolutions in an effort to come up with my newest ones, God hit me with a simple yet profound thought in regards to the new year.  That thought came from the very first verse in the very first book of the Bible, "In the beginning God..."  Genesis 1:1.

Though the context of this verse is the Creation Story, I can see it's application in this brand new year.  So instead of resolutions that leave me feeling just a little defeated by the end of the year (or sooner), I'm changing tactics and placing my focus on starting the year off with my priorities straight...by focusing on God!  God is my beginning for 2011...but not just the beginning...He will be the middle and end as well.  The way I see it is if I start off the year right by CHOOSING to live for God...by loving Him with all that I am, serving Him, obeying Him, knowing Him, following Him, and listening to Him...then my life will align itself within His will!  I can wholly trust Him with this year without fearing the future - and without fear of failing at any stupid resolutions! 

So my one and only resolution for 2011 is to be a better follower of Christ!

And through Christ, I CAN do this!

Grace and peace, friends!  Have a blessed new year! 

In His Love, Cathy

Spiritual Toughness

On the day I called, You answered me;

You incrased strength within me.

Psalm 138:3



As I came across this passage today in my devotion I was flooded with new insight and application.  I'd read this verse so many times before today in other devotions and in my daily Bible readings through the years.  But today God struck a different chord within me as I read it.  I immediately recognized that familiar tugging of the Holy Spirit, opening my eyes to see the truth encapsulated within this verse. 

As I contemplated the meaning of this verse throughout the day I could see its application in our lives.  Though we are blessed beyond belief, personally we have been going through a tough season in our lives.  I won't go into the sordid details as this isn't what I wish to point out in this blog.  Suffice it to say, as many of our close friends know, we are in a season of difficult times due to Scott's father's deteriorating condition.  In addition, my own Father has major health issues that are urgent and life threatening, but refusing to get medical help.  On top of all of this, Scott and I are facing challenges on other fronts as well.  Sometimes it can become quite overwhelming...causing me in particular to bend and melt under pressure.  However, sympathy is not what I desire from this blog entry.  Instead, I wish to convey a message of hope and truth that God has placed upon my heart...a message that was sorely needed today...a message found within the comforting words of Psalm 138:3.

All of us face constant challenges in our lives.  Everyone has their own unique set of troubles, setbacks, problems, and crisis.  Some are facing much worse situations than Scott and I.  And yet when we are challenged sometimes beyond what we think we are able to bear, we have a promise from God Himself...that when we call out to Him, He WILL INCREASE OUR STRENGTH!  This is the promise I found most hopeful today.  This is the promise I now cling to. 

We may not understand why we must suffer in this life.  But it's not our place to ask why...He is the potter, we are only the clay.  We must remember that our viewpoint is limited to our finite knowledge of the here and now.  His viewpoint is unobstructed - He is the One who was, is, and is to come - therefore He has an infinite view of all things past, present, and future from His heavenly vantage point.  And though we may not see our way out of our problems or sufferings, He does.  He knows how circumstances are going to play out before they ever unfold.  He knows how we'll react, what we'll say, what we think, and what we'll do.  For me, this is a comforting thought - all the more reason to trust in Him and call to Him for strength in times of distress.

God doesn't delight in our sufferings.  In fact, He loves us so much that His heart breaks for us.  We simply live in a fallen world where no one is immune from crime, disease, and suffering.  It's what we do with the 'stuff' that happens to us that makes a difference.  We can rely on God for strength to get through the crisis, coming out a stronger person than ever before - allowing the refining fire of our sufferings to mold us ever more into God's image!  Or, we can give up, allowing the circumstances to overcome us - pushing us further away from being the person God is calling us to be - a person of spiritual toughness. 

 

Yes, God can rescue us if He so chooses from our troubles and problems. However, for whatever PERFECT reason He has, sometimes we must go through crisis.  Yet He promises to hear us when we cry out to Him. And when we do, we can count on Him to be with us each step of the way, never abandoning us, and giving us the strength needed to make it through ... even through the valley of the shadow of death.

The only way to develop spiritual toughness is in the fires of life.  The only way to make it through the fires of life is with God's strength.  Only He can increase our strength to the proper levels to survive the trials of this world.  I am thankful for His infinite resources that are always only a prayer away!

I do not mean to minimize nor trivialize the sufferings anyone is experiencing.  Some trajedies are unbearable.  But I pray that you will find comfort and strength in God, especially during times like this.  Know that He is already by your side as you face the unbearable - offering comfort, peace, and strength.

And when we are hit by hard times, we can assume the position of greatest strength - on our knees, laying prostrate before the Cross!

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

GLORY!

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”



13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:8-14

Glory to God in the highest!  Peace and good will toward men!  Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Singing praises to Him!  Hallelujah! 

Thankful for so many things this Christmas, but most of all for the hope and salvation we have in Christ Jesus! 

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and the most happiest of New Years! 

Grace and peace, friends!   
In His Love, Cathy