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Humbly Yourself to Walk With God While preparing this devotional, I was reminded of an old song that we sang often when I was a boy. Humble Thyself to Walk With God by Johnson Oatman Jr. PD Just as the stream finds a bed that is lowly, So Jesus walks with the pure and the holy; Cast out thy pride, and in heartfelt contrition Humble thyself to walk with God. Humble thyself and the Lord will draw near thee, Humble thyself and His presence shall cheer thee; He will not walk with the proud or the scornful, Humble thyself to walk with God. We read in Luke 18:9-14 of two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a Publican. The Pharisee trusted in his own righteousness and despised others. He started to pray by listing all of the things that he thought would surely impress God: “Lord I thank you that I’m not like other men, I don’t extort and I’m not unjust. And I’m certainly not like that publican standing over there. On top of all that, Lord, I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all I possess. The publican wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven. He smote his breast and cried out, “Lord, have mercy to me a sinner.” The Pharisee failed to impress God, but the publican found favor because of his humility. Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased: Do we ever fit into this category? I try not to, but I have in the past. Our doctrine and practices may be good, but do we pride ourselves in these to the extent that we to the extent that we damn all others? We rightly condemn unrighteousness but do we forget the pit and miry clay (Psalms 40:2 ) that once had us bound? Do we forget that at one time we were in the same place as those we look down on. The Lord is eager to extend mercy to them just as He did to us. and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. In Mark 10:32-34, Jesus told his disciples of the horrible suffering and death that awaited Him in Jerusalem. He would be mocked, scourged, spit upon and delivered to death. However, He would rise victorious the third day. James and John only heard the part about the Lord’s resurrection and began to squabble as to whom would be seated the closest to Jesus, when He came into His glory. Jesus let them know that they would have to suffer some of the very same things as He, and the seating arrangements in heaven would be determined by service rather than pedigree.. Mark 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. So what does the church need more? Someone to sing or someone to sweep the floor? Someone to testify loudly in church or someone to spend time on their knees in prayer? I could go on, but you get the point. In Isaiah we read of folks who were punctual in their fasting but couldn’t show mercy to their neighbor. The Lord rebuked them and told then what it was that he honored in a fast. Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? "The sun has no need to boast of his brightness." - Hosea Ballou Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@about-him.com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe@about-him.com
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