02/16/2024
Are we men and women who humble ourselves before God? Humility is a characteristic that is unmistakable in a person and gives them a certain quality that allows them to care for others and walk in faith without so much as causing a ripple... They become a part of the faith that surrounds them. However, the pride of doing, this morning's message, is one that convicts me often. Sometimes I struggle with that fine line between giving God the glory for answering a prayer and feeling that MY prayer might have been the source of that miracle. When you pray for people as often as I do and God answers our prayers for the needs of others, we might begin to associate God's movements with our own. When people seek you out as if there is some cure or other miracle that you can perform for them it presents you with a spiritual danger. The truth of course is that God performs all miracles and a person's faith is the catalyst that makes him worthy.
“We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ: not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God.”
2 Corinthians 3:4-5 CSB
I know that this isn't a new occurrence, and that it goes on in churches everywhere. God gives someone the gift of intercession, or prophesy and the congregation is drawn to them. The hardest part of this is making certain that people realize that the gifted person is just the one who takes their hand and places it within God's... It isn't they who holds the hand of the needy... but sometimes God wants to use our skin to touch others, and in that act people can become confused.
I am reminded of Saul and how he had the medium conjure up Samuel. He was confusing Samuel (a man of God) with God Himself. David went to God... Saul went to Samuel. People need to be like David in this regard. It is hard for them sometimes because they can see and touch the Samuels, but it takes faith to touch God.
As far as the Samuels in life? It is equally hard for them to remain humble when God performs such wonders through them... And therein lies the pride of doing. Why God chooses someone as a focal point for certain gifts is a mystery to me, but we see it throughout scripture and the church. Your gift might be healing, comforting, preaching, managing, leadership, giving, or decorating the church building... The list is long and varied... But actively resisting taking pride in each of those gifts is the same.
When God does something wonderful in our lives we want to tell the world. When we receive a Word from God we want to tell everyone how thrilled we are and what that Word was. This is a very human thing to do and it often edifies others and feeds their faith... But the pitfall is in taking personal pride in God's movements as He performs them on our behalf.
When I was a kid there was nothing more uplifting than to have one of my parents praise me; even if it was just for eating all of my dinner. Their words encouraged the behavior they were praising, and made me want to continue excelling in whatever that was. When I played sports and performed well it was uplifting to have the coach or a bystander tell me how well I had done. These are things that are about us... But, when we act in concert with God or within faith, we need to understand that those things are about God, and that they are beyond anything we are capable of accomplishing without Him. We need to humble ourselves in all things and all ways; not just for others to see, but so that we can come before our God in the full recognition of who He is, and in the full realization of who we are not.
“This is what the Lord says:
The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me— that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.”
Jerimiah 9:23-24
So today let’s examine our humility and determine whether we are convicted by our lack of it, and whether we need to be reminded over and over again that our gifts come from God… not ourselves. As we move within faith we should humble ourselves to the point of selflessness, and if we can do that, then we won't leave ripples in the water of faith... and God will be glorified in all things. This is the struggle, this is the fear and trembling with which we are instructed to work out our own salvation. We hear this selfsame humility in the words of Jesus Himself…
““I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.””
John 5:30
Prayer:
Father, thank you for all of the prayers you answer, not because of our words, nor the power in anything we have said, but because of your promise, and what you do because your Word is true. Thank you for your Son Jesus who tells us that our prayers will be answered if we believe, if we pray them in expectation, and if we pray them in His name. Help us Lord by guarding us against the temptation to claim the glory for those things you have done as a result of our obedience to your instruction in prayer, and for our prayers that are in your will and the name of Jesus. Holy, holy, holy, are you our God who was, and is, and is to come, in mercy, grace, and to answer our humble efforts in prayer. Let all people bow down in the realization that like Jesus, we can do nothing of ourselves, but Move Mountains through our faith in you. Let us feel your presence in the same way we offer our prayers… without ceasing, and for all eternity. Hear our voices Heavenly Father as we humbly lift up our prayers in music, song, words, moans, and even in our silent reverence as we love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Hear the sound of Jesus praying as we pray, and see His image as we kneel before your mercy seat. In this way we ask that you forgive us our sins, and judge us worthy of eternity with you. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen
Rich Forbes