Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a video of Nichole Nordeman singing her song, Finally Free, … where she sings of the grace which frees us from our selves - finally free when we submit ourselves in humility to the freeing grace of God.
Highlight Passage: Proverbs 13: 10 [NKJV] …
10 By pride comes nothing but strife, … but with the well-advised is wisdom.
… Humility is the human key to unlock God’s wisdom.
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Highlight Context – Proverbs 13: 10-20 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… If one surrounds him/her self with wisdom, in humility there will be victory and freedom.
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 34-35 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God’s enriching/enabling grace can only be visited upon the humble.
Reference Passage #2 - James 4: 6-10 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God will only lift up the humble … but can give none of His grace to the proud.
Reference Passage #3 - 1st Peter 5: 5-6 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter as well as James quote from Prov. 3: 34 … that God can only pour his grace into the heart of the humble, resisting that of the proud.
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, David Roper, relates a telling story of a scene involving two bears [see attached photo]. He wrote: Some years ago, my wife, Carolyn, and I spent a few days camping on the flanks of Mount Rainier in Washington State. When we were returning to our campsite one evening, we saw, in the middle of a meadow two male bears boxing each other’s ears. We stopped to watch. … There was a hiker nearby, and I asked him what the conflict was about. “A young female,” he said. … “Where is she?” I asked. … “Oh, she left about 20 minutes ago,” he chuckled. … Thus, I gathered, the conflict at this point was not about the female bear but about being the toughest bear.
This rings oh too true about the nature of mankind, doesn’t it? All too often we end up dwelling on something, or even fighting others about some issue, due to our pride. Solomon and Jesus’ brother, James, and the Apostle Peter, quoting from the same text in God’s word (see Proverbs 3: 34) point to how we can only be available to receive God’s saving and sanctifying grace when we humble ourselves before God’s throne of grace. They all point out - in God’s word [see above] - that our Lord cannot - and will not - provide His grace to the prideful, but only the humble.
So, in taking in all the above truths, I pray that we all are willing to shed our selfishness and pride and be willing to humble ourselves before God’s throne of grace to receive His freeing, enabling, and empowering grace.
My Prayer Today: Oh, my Lord, … as Nichole Nordeman sings, I pray that anyone reading here with me today is willing to walk free from self and receive the grace of God in humility to walk with Him. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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