Day: September 21, 2006

Day 2 – The Teachings of Humility in Proverbs

On By KateIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

Prov. 6:3 “Do this now, my son, deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.”Prov. 15:33 “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.”

Prov. 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”

According to Noah Webster, the word humility in this context means:

In theology, humility consists in lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will.

If Christians today practice even 10% of this definition in their humility, there would not be many fighting Christians in churches today. Each Christian has been given a gift from the Holy Spirit to use within the church body. When each believer uses his gift according to the will of God, we make a whole body and function as one in our church.

When one or more stop using their gifts, the body no longer functions as a whole body but in bits and pieces. That body has become disfunctional. How can you tell? Look around you and see if the fruits of the Spirit are evident! Galations 5:22-23 list the fruits of the Spirit:

  • love
  • joy
  • peace
  • longsuffering
  • gentleness
  • goodness
  • faith
  • meekness
  • temperance

One who is humble and practices humility is one who displays some of the fruits of the Spirit listed above. Can one be humble if he has no joy, gentleness, meekness or temperance residing within! Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? (Jam 3:11)

I love to take teachings such as these and relate them to how the Holy Spirit equips us to fulfill the will of God through those same teachings. There are so many that are applicable and we will visit these over the next month. I pray you will be blessed!

More Like The Master
Charles H. GabrielMore like the Master I would ever be,
More of His meekness, more humility;
More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,
More consecration for work He bids me do.

Refrain

Take Thou my heart, I would be Thine alone;
Take Thou my heart, and make it all Thine own.
Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,
Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.

More like the Master is my daily prayer;
More strength to carry crosses I must bear;
More earnest effort to bring His kingdom in;
More of His Spirit, the wanderer to win.

Refrain

More like the Master I would live and grow;
More of His love to others I would show;
More self denial, like His in Galilee,
More like the Master I long to ever be.

Refrain

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Day 13 – Listening With Your Heart

On By KateIn VariousLeave a comment

Reading: John 3:1-21

Today’s verse:

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:15)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is summed up in this short verse. Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man (verse 14) must be lifted up – a depiction of His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus was vague here because he knew Nicodemus was listening with his head and not his heart.

Most of us who were raised in the United States in the first half of the 1900’s can safely say that we heard of Jesus Christ. We either learned about Jesus Christ in church or His name was a curse word on the lips of our fathers. We “know” that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We “know” that He died on the cross for all sins. We “know” that He arose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. In fact, many of us have prayers we have memorized from childhood which recite these very facts. Jesus knew that Nicodemus knew his Bible. He knew that Nicodemus had much of the bible memorized. So Nicodemus had “head” knowledge of the coming Messiah just as we have head knowledge of Jesus Christ.

But what about the heart? Jesus says in John 3:15 that whosever BELIEVES will not perish. It’s not just knowing “about” Jesus Christ, but it’s knowing Jesus Christ “personally.” You cannot say that you really know your spouse after just a few days of marriage. However, there’s nothing like a good dose of several years of marriage to help you learn about your spouse’s little habits, likes and dislikes.

You cannot know Jesus Christ just by hearing about Him in church or by reading about Him. One must be born again. At the very moment of your conversion, the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) enters in and begins to teach you. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit’s main job in a Christian’s life is to glorify Jesus Christ, teach the Christian about Jesus Christ and reveal the truths in the Word to the Christian. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13) and “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:14)

Dear God…
Please help me to learn the truth
About Your Son Jesus Christ.
May Your Holy Spirit enlighten me
Direct me and open my eyes!