June 13, 2013 … Thanks, I Needed That!!

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 164

Passage of the Day #1: 1st Peter 5: 5-6 [Humility … a rare trait in the world today! ] [NLT] …  
5 You younger men, accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.” [quote from Prov. 3: 34] … 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time He will honor you.  
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Contextual Study for today’s passage: 1st Peter, Chapter 5 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Passage of the Day #2: James 4: 5-6 [God pleas again for humility! ] [NLT] …  
5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful? 6 He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God sets himself against the proud, but He shows favor to the humble.” [quote from Prov. 3: 34]
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 Contextual Study for today’s passage: James, Chapter 4 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Matthew 11: 29 [In the context of verses 28-30] [NLT] …  
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle (i.e., meek), and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” 

Reference Passage #2: Philippians 2: 5 [Looking for Christlikeness?] [NLT] …  
5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.

My Journal for Today: Today is the 48th wedding anniversary for my wife and myself; and if you’re as old as I am, you may remember a TV commercial back in the 70s for Mennen After Shave lotion. It depicted a man putting the product on his face early in the morning and slapping himself with the after-shave across the face, saying, “Thanks, I needed that!” (see the commercial in this You Tube piece)  And today’s devotional by Os Hillman was somewhat like that commercial for me … a slap in my ego with a message that I needed to remember … certainly in my marriage, … but also in my life in general.

If you’re a Christian, I think all believers in Christ would agree with Phil. 2: 5, quoted above, which states that all disciples of Christ need to strive for the attitude of Christ. … So, what ia that attitude? Well, there’s only one place in the New Testament where Jesus is quoted describing His own attitude; and that is found in Matthew 11: 29, also copied for your review above. And in that verse Jesus described Himself as being “HUMBLE and GENTLE” (the latter also translated as “meek”). Well, the idea that I should strive to be more like Jesus in my attitude was a slap in the face for me today as Os Hillman led me to one Old Testament Scripture, Proverbs 3: 34, which is re-quoted twice, by two separate authors, in the New Testament (both of which are copied above).

Do you believe, as do I, that when a concept or ideal is repeated over and over again in God’s word, we should wake-up and pay attention to that idea or concept? Well, reading those two verses above from Peter and James in the Scripture was like being slapped in the face and saying, “Thanks, I needed that!!” … Because I do!

I don’t know about you; but all too often I have trouble remembering that my primary goal in life is to strive to become like Jesus; and in that pursuit, I should begin by trying to become like Jesus described Himself … ”humble and meek.” But all too often in my marriage – and in life – I let my ego and pride blunt my ability to receive a good slap in the face from God’s Spirit, allowing me to choose to humble myself rather than elevate myself.

 So, on this, my 48th anniversary, I’m duly slapped in the face by God’s word; and I can honestly say to Him, … ”Thanks, I needed that!!”

My Prayer for Today … “Amen and … Amen!!”