His Sufficiency, My Submission

I have been greatly encouraged by studying Proverbs 31.  I saw areas where God was encouraging me to remain steadfast and I saw new areas God wanted me to grow in. When God puts something on my heart to do, I am encouraged. Satan may want us to despair, feel overwhelmed, or sad but our Great God always wins His battles. God used an ordinary people all the time to accomplish His great purposes. We are all ordinary but our God is extraordinary. He sees the great things He has planned for us to accomplish through Him.

Many times we despair because we try to do God's law without His power and strength. Trying to bey God's Law and rules is a system of religion not a relationship. We can not fulfill the law's demands. The law was a schoolteacher/tutor to lead us to Christ. Everything Christ did on the Cross was sufficient. Jesus' last words were it is finished. God is our sufficient savior. We will be discouraged if we take God's commands and just try to do them. Practices without foundational truth become a system of religion without power. It is like having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof as found in 2 Timothy 3:5. We can not put practical application before proper theology and a right relationship with God.

I have grown in the areas of using my words as an instrument of peace. I have learned much about grace, humility, a gentle and quiet spirit, working hard with hands rather than being idle. As I studied Proverbs 31, God really showed me more about His Sufficiency and my submission.2 Corinthians 3:5 says
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God ... (NKJV) . As I studied the virtues of the Proverbs 31, I rested in God knowing that I was not sufficient in myself. These virtues - hard work, doing good to husbands, gentle and quiet spirit, kind words, clothed with humility were not mine based on my sufficiency. Everything I am and have is from the sufficiency of God. Likewise 1 Corinthians 4:7 says "For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" No one is superior to another. If you have any qualities it is because you received it from God.

Apart from God, I can not do anything the Scripture says. John 15:5 says "

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.   The last verse of Proverbs 31 states  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.  Christians are to bear fruit as they submit to God's ways and walk in God's ways. Our part is submission to what God says. We can not obey half heartedly. We have  to live wholeheartedly unto the Lord doing everything with thanks to Him. We are to love Jesus with our whole heart. We are to obey ALL through Him who gives us strength and power. We know that the Proverbs 31 was a wise woman because she feared the Lord. In Proververbs 14:26-27 says "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to turn away from the snare of death." Since this Proverbs 31 study, I have gained more confidence in the fear of the Lord that I have rather than in my false belief of self. My part again is submission. I don't need false confidence, false pride, reverse pride or boasting because I have strong confidence due to my fear of the Lord. He is my refuge. I don't have to act as if I am nothing and don't compare to others and I don't need to exalt my confidence. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I am learning to be satisfied from above. Proverb 14:14 says "...But a good man will be satisfied from above." As I submit to God, praises rise up. I have much to praise God for. Praise and worship is submission. Psalm 67 is a a great Psalm to read to see the importance of our submission, praise and worship. It leads to the blessings of God so that all the earth shall fear God (which is the beginning of wisdom).  As we,Christians, praise and worship God then God's ways are known on the earth that salvation comes among the nations. (Psalm 62:2). God makes us fishers of men as we submit, praise and worship. The Proverbs 31 woman was a lady of praise and worship as she did all to the glory of God. Additional Resources: www.discipleshiplibrary.com/pdfs/A487B.pdf http://www.slideshare.net/rdc2506/theology-i-gods-attributes-sufficiency http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Books/PTP/ptp-chap_02.htm http://bible.org/seriespage/sufficiency-god-through-his-spirit-2-cor-212821146

True Humility

Proverbs 27:2 says "Let another man praise you and not your own mouth; A stranger and not your own lips." As I read this verse and ponder its meaning, I realized that many times people are praising themselves because they don't feel worthy or they feel worthy based on what they do or know. Then there are those who don't praise themselves but put themselves down by feeling like they don't measure up. These people too don't feel worthy. They also don't feel worthy because they feel they don't do something or don't know something. The people who don't boast look at those who do with jealousy, contempt, envy and bitterness (even if they will not admit it). Those who boast go around having an inflated self image that they are better than others. Both sets of people do not realize that true humility is based on who we are in Christ not on what we do or what we know.

Psalm 100:3 says "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people..." This verse tells us that it is about God. It is He who made us. We are His people. This helps the person who is always comparing self to others and feeling like they come up short. It helps the person who thinks they are better than others.

As I observed Proverbs 27:2, I saw that our lips and mouth are to praise others as gifts from God. We need to work at valuing others. The more we value others, the more freedom we will see to value ourselves for who we are in God's sight. True humility is not putting oneself down or denying God given gifts.

We learned in Church that it is "reverse pride" to feel like you don't measure up. You are actually the same as the prideful person (just another side of pride) to think of yourself more lowly than you should. These people struggle with comparing self to others. They feel they are not worthy or don't measure up. These feelings prevent people from becoming what God has for them. These feelings also cause jealousy, envy, bitterness and anger against others and who they are and what they have.  They end up having a critical spirit and think about self too much. The problem is they do not know worth in God's eyes and that all gifts are from God not self.  Saul ended up feeling jealous of David due to the people praising David. Saul's jealousy resulted in anger that then resulted in attempted murder of David. Saul failed to appreciate David's talents. It is important to take any jealousy to God and ask for help to appreciate others; talents while showing us how best to use our God given talents.

We are extremist people. We usually struggle with reverse pride or regular old pride. If we are not putting ourselves down, we end up praising ourselves and elevating our worth based on what we do or know rather than praising God and others.  We end up thinking we are better than others. We too can get a critical spirit because we think others are lazy or not doing a good enough job because we can do it better.  We too need to work on valuing others for who they are in God's sight.  Blessing others and thanking God for other people and their gifts helps to develop humility because we see we are dependent on God and others. We can not do everything by ourselves.  In James 3, we are told that we should not bless God and curse others as men have been made in similitude of God. We should be blessing others.  We are to encourage and build each other up in the Lord.

As I think about application steps, I see I tend to fall more in the regular old pride. God has been working on me over the last 8 years on this and I see that I am seeing His fruit of pride being rooted out of me and developing the proper image of Who He is, who I am and who other are.  God has gifted me with many good gifts and I praise Him for them. He has also gifted others and I am praising Him and others for these wonderful gifts and talents. I have to remember when others are jealous of what they see that I need to pray for them and share how God is the giver of every good gift. He gives us all gifts and talents so there is no need to compare.  I am also learning how to respond to praise from others. Many times the problem I am seeing is that others do praise me and my family. I don't need to do it. However, there are others who look on and get jealous because someone other than themselves are receiving the praise. The people who feel jealous end up saying hurtful things or acting distant or making faces. I am learning, however, to hug them and praise them for what God has given them. This requires thinking soberly and with absolute honesty. We don't want to praise them for what they know or what they do but because of true gifts God has given them and who He is in making them. I am learning to direct their attention to our Great God. It is not because of what I did or know that resulted in praise but because of who God is and what He has done.

My prayer continues to be that God increase and I decrease. I pray that I continue to have gratitude and sing praises to God for Who He is. I also have been reading a lot about blessing others and giving thanks for people.  I thank God that He is developing true humility in me and I am seeing His grace abound.
posted by a friend - Patty Birchard.

Appearing Beautiful on the Outside

This weeks Bible Study virtues was fear of the Lord and humility. I have been thinking a lot about hypocrisy. In Matthew 23, Jesus delivered a series of woes to the Pharisees. Jesus says "Woe to you, scribe and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. Blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Many times if we see good behavior, we think a person must be inwardly good. This is not always the case. A person can be deceptive for a time. Eventually the bad fruit will show but we can not look at behavior alone. The Pharisees on the outside looked very good. They did all the "right" things. In fact Jesus said they "appeared beautiful outwardly". Jesus compared the Pharisees to a tomb with dead men's bones. They may have looked beautiful and appeared to obey everything but inside they will filled with all evil and lawlessness.

Clean Heart

As I read today's verse in Acts 13:22 for a Proverbs 31 study, the song Create in Me a Clean Heart started bubbling out of me. The lyrics to this song are:

Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Scripture: Acts 13:22 - "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as King, to whom also He gave testimony and said " I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will."

Observations: (1). Being a man/woman after God's heart involves doing ALL God's will and not most or everything but just one thing; (2) God raised up David to be King; (3) God gave testimony of David so that the people knew what it meant to have a heart after Him/God; (4) God is the one who removes and puts people into power.

Applications: On Friday, I had worked hard mopping all my wood floors. I did laundry, cleaned the house, mowed the lawn, homeschooled my three year old, played with son, made a lasagna and did many tasks in our home. I hardly ever think to clean under our one bathroom sink or to clean our one desk going down to our basement. However, on this day both came to me to do. It was an impression on my heart that would not leave I was tired from all the other tasks that I had done. I didn't want to ignore what I believed God was telling me to do. I really didn't think it made much sense as I did so much else that day however I knew I better listen.  I started with the desk and tried to organize all the mail. I opened all the mail and put it in a nice, organized pile on the top of the desk. I cleaned the first shelf well. I thought I had done well since that is the most important but I failed to do the other two drawers. I said "that is good since I am tired and I did obey by cleaning the mail shelf." Then later on in the day, medicine spilled in the cabinet under the sink. I cleaned up the medicine and straightened out the cabinet. I, however, did not clean every box or bag under the sink. I interpreted clean under the cabinet as just straighten it out and quickly clean the spilled medicine. There was an impression upon my heart that I was to clean it all but  my son was in the bathtub and I had already worked a lot that day.

Now, I thought my husband would be pleased with having all the mail neatly organized. However, I gave room for the enemy, Satan, to work by not doing all God had said to do. Of course, I could blame my husband and say well he should be putting his mind on all the good things done (which I did) but the fact remains I didn't obey ALL God said to do. I halfheartedly cleaned the desk and cabinet rather than do it all and all for the glory of God. This may seem rather small but it is not because it brought on some really big issues in our home. God says that we are to be faithful in small things.   Luke 16:10 says "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." I thank God that we saw the lack of obedience, Satan's attacks and how it all affected our family but there were consequences.

As for the desk, Saturday night my husband went cleaning the desk. Now why did he start that? He hardly ever does that and we did not talk about what I knew i was to do the day before. He already had all the mail/bills on the top of the desk. However, when he went looking through the other messy drawers he thought he found another bill. This is upsetting as there may be other missing bills. Of course this interaction could result  in the blame game but the fact remains God had put it on my heart even before all this to clean the whole desk. I wanted to clean what i wanted to clean. I did not obey in all of it.

It wasn't just the desk my husband started to look at this weekend . On Sunday after great time with my family, my husband decides to go look in the cabinet under the bathroom. He never usually needs to go it. Why this weekend?  It was a bit frustrating for him. Now he has not thought about this cabinet in years but it is interesting that this was the weekend he did especially when God had put it on my heart to clean it two days before. This frustration led to an incident with my husband and son that stole peace from our home and also caused a sin.

I am a list maker and a schedule maker but it is important for me to do all God tells me to do rather than what is on my list or what I planned to do. I am learning to heed all of what God says (clean all the cabinet and all the desk). It is important to be in faithful in all God says to do in His word and that He guides and speaks us to do throughout our day. When I fail to do what God tells me to do with all my heart, I see sin passing on to my family members. Also, I gave occasion for Satan to come in and attack. Also, God's name is dishonored.

Sometimes we may not see all the effects of failing to do ALL God tells us to do. We may think oh God doesn't instruct us to clean a cabinet or a desk but He does. He guides us in all things. He prepares us for things before they happen. Isaiah 30:21 says "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." We hear God through His Word. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus says to do and what we are to do. We will hear a voice saying "This is the way; walk in it."

Application Regarding my Desk/Cabinet Siutation:
1. What did God instruct me to do today (what weighed on my heart to do and I made excuses, what did I not do with all my heart, what did I rush through just to get it done).
2. If there was something I rushed through just to get it done - I need to go back and pray for God's strenth and power to do it for His glory.
3. Go back and redo it and do it all well

God sees and knows how Satan will try to divide our families. God sees the end from the beginning. Being obedient to God in all things in His Word and what He directs us to do in our daily tasks shows that our heart is submitted to Him.  1 Samuel 15:22 says "And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

 

Prayer: Father, thank you that we can cry out to you to clean our heart. Thank you that if we disobey we can run to you. Thank you that you do tell us the way to walk. Thank you that your Word is a lamp onto our feet and a light onto our path. Thank you Lord that you give us the armor of God to wear. Thank you that you tell us the enemy is not our families but Satan. Father, create in me a clean heart. I am sorry for not cleaning all of the desk and all of the cabinet and that I did not do it wholeheartedly onto you. Please forgiving me for thinking partial cleaning was complete obedience.

The Inheritance

Last Night, I watched The Inheritance based on a book by Louisa May Alcott. The character Edith may quite an impression on me. To write that she was humble, kind, gentle and quiet would be an understatement. One who have to read and see her character come to life in order to have those character traits take meaning. In the story Edith was an Italian orphan that was saved by a very rich family, The Hamiltons. Edith grows up with the Hamiltons as "their help". She is a companion to their daughter. At the end of the story, Edith finds out she truly is a heir (her Father is the brother of Mr. Hamilton).  There is so much I would like to write about this movie/book but in case you haven't seen it, I will save the details.

It was very fitting this morning when I woke up and saw Today's Proverb 31 verse for the study. It is Proverbs 31:31 -"Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."

As I observe the verse above, I see Edith from The Inheritance. She didn't force being a heir or tell everyone when she found out she was an heir. She in fact doesn't tell anyone despite the fact that she could have used it on three occasions for her benefit. She didn't use words as tools to argue or defend her case. She didn't look for praise yet she received that and more. She didn't try to get men's attention but everyone was attracted to her even if she was not in their "social class".

Also when I think of the "fruit of her hands", I am reminded of Psalm 1 where it says "he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper."

The application for me is that throughout my life, I may not look like a "heir". People may not treat me like a "heir". I may be accused of things I didn't do. I may be accused of wrong motives. I may be persecuted. I may be looked down upon. However, I see a picture of my heavenly Father telling me to come as I am a heir, a heir of the king. He says we are a royal priesthood. In 1 Peter 2:9 it says "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

It is hard at times for me to be silent when falsely accused. Sometimes, I want what I want right now. If others do something that is wrong, I want to tell them exactly what they did. If others speak to me in a malicious tone, I want to retaliate. However, I see God at work in me changing me from the inside and out. I am not who I once was. Also, I see God changing me more in how I respond to situations in life. God truly is my inheritance.

To Him be the praise and may I may I always sing His praises.

My prayer is the Hymn Blessed Assurance:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine O, what a foretaste of glory divine Heir of salvation, purchase of God Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood Chorus: This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior, all the day long This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior all the day long Perfect submission, perfect delight Visions of rapture now burst on my sight Angels descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

 

 

The Fall

I WILL BE LIKE GOD

To be like God! How many of us want to be on high, be exalted and praised, be seen, have the light shine upon us and be all we can be?  The Fall of Satan is described in Isaiah 14:12-14 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground. You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

Satan said these things in his heart. He may not have said them out loud. God looks at the heart. He sees our heart's intentions. Eventually we act out of these heart intentions. Satan said at least five things in his heart:
1. I will ascend into heaven
2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
3. I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north
4. I will ascend above the heights of the the clouds
5. I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH

Lucifer's  (Satan) name means light bearer. Here in this passage, he is called son of the morning. He was meant to bear God's light not his own.

Satan used the same deception on Eve that caused his own fall .  He whispered "For God know that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one WISE, she took of the fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her and he ate." (Genesis 3:5-6). The fall of humanity too was wanting to be like God in our own arrogant pride.

Proverbs 16:18 says that pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.  In 1 John 2:16 we read that "for all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world." A long time ago, in studying the Bible I learned that there was a connect between the fall of humanity and the three temptations in 1 John 2:16.

Lust of the Flesh = good for food
Lust of the Eyes = fruit desirable to the eyes
Pride of Life = to make one wise/be like God

In thinking upon my own pride, I am reminded of the passage in Luke 14:8-11
which says When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.  If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.  ¹⁰But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Our Proverbs 31 study today is about humility and the fear of the Lord rather than pride. The Proverbs study today focuses on bearing God's light rather than our own light of how good a wife we are or how much we accomplish. 

PROVERB 31 STUDY SCRIPTURES

Proverbs 15:33 - The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

Proverbs 22:4 - By humility and fear of the Lord are riches and honors and life.

OBSERVATIONS

1. The fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of wisdom but also the instruction of wisdom

2. Humility and fear of the Lord comes before riches, honors and life and not the other way around

3. We are to be instructed in wisdom and not seek to be wise in our own ideas or to be wise for wisdom sake.

4. Humility needs to come along wisdom or we may be puffed up with pride.

APPLICATIONS

Our Church has five core values. One of them is Gospel Humility which is defined as "an attitude that causes us to submit to one another and to listen intently to godly counsel. On the one hand, it prompts us to be gentle and forgiving, and to admit when we are wrong. On the other hand it prompts us to walk in spirit led boldness. Gospel humility requires a healthy self assessment. It liberates a person to pursue God's way of living - regardless of the interpretation of others."

Humility is defined as the quality of being modest and respectful. Humility comes from the Latin word humilitas meaning grounded, from the earth, low. It derives from humus which means earth. It is a quality by which a person considering his own defects has a "humble" opinion of self and willingly submits to God and others for God's sake.

The first verse that came to my mind as way of application was Psalm 131: 1 which is "Lord my heart is not haughty nor my eyes lofty Neither do I concern myself with great matters nor with things too profound for me." My prayer is that I can say that. Many times I am trying to figure it all out. I am trying to fix and change everyone and every thing. I have liked being right. I want to be wise. I like to learn but the problem is we should not learn for knowledge or learning sake to have power over others. We are to be wise in the Lord's eyes and for shining His light not our own.

For where envy and self seeking (selfish ambition, pride) exist confusion and every evil thing are there. James 3:16.  This verse says every evil thing exists where there is pride. Also in Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom."

As a wife, many times I want to be right. I think of things too lofty for me at times. I think I need to work and fix everything. This many times can cause pressure for my husband instead of a safe haven and peaceful sanctuary. My husband helps me to see, feel, touch, smell and taste the wonderful gifts God gives. He helps me to be grounded on this earth.  Many times, I think my way of seeing things is right and that he must be wrong. I failed to see at times that God makes people different and to appreciate the differences that keep me grounded.  God is guiding me and teaching me in his Word to humble myself and submit to my husband. It is so precious in the sight of God.

PRAYER

Lord, may I shine your light rather than trying to shine light on myself. Lord, forgive me for trying to be right a lot rather than humble myself in your sight.

I don't want to be wise to have an advantage over others or to lift myself up. Please forgive me for wanting to be you and have your rightful place. May I decrease and you increase. May I always wait on you.