Boast – Praying Pint

50.j. Wilderness – 14.p. “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God”

Deu 8:11-18 “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Proverbs 1:32   For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Proverbs 30:9   lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Psalms 106:21    They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

Hosea 13:5-6     It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought;  but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me

Jeremiah 2:31   And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’?

1 Corinthians 4:7   For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Psalms 127:1-2    Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

When everything is fine and our lives are filled with abundance, it is not hard to have our hearts lifted up. We can easily forget the LORD Himself and forget it was all His work on our behalf. In times of abundance, it is easy to forget the LORD, or to at least no longer seek Him with the urgency we once had. We often think highly of our own hard work and brilliance. Yet we must see that God gives us the body, the brain, and the talent. It is all of God. His plan is that it would ultimately further His eternal purpose. Therefore, we have no right to use our material blessing to further selfish purposes; instead, we use our resources to advance His kingdom. (Guzik)

Moses directs to the duty of a prosperous condition. Let them always remember their Benefactor. In everything we must give thanks. Moses arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition. When men possess large estates, or are engaged in profitable business, they find the temptation to pride, forgetfulness of God, and carnal-mindedness, very strong; and they are anxious and troubled about many things. In this the believing poor have the advantage; they more easily perceive their supplies coming from the Lord in answer to the prayer of faith; and, strange as it may seem, they find less difficulty in simply trusting him for daily bread. They taste a sweetness therein, which is generally unknown to the rich, while they are also freed from many of their temptations. Forget not God’s former dealings with thee. Here is the great secret of Divine Providence. Infinite wisdom and goodness are the source of all the changes and trials believers experience. Israel had many bitter trials, but it was to do them good. Pride is natural to the human heart. Would one suppose that such a people, after their slavery at the brick-kilns, should need the thorns of the wilderness to humble them? But such is man! And they were proved that they might be humbled. None of us live a single week without giving proofs of our weakness, folly, and depravity. To broken-hearted souls alone the Saviour is precious indeed. Nothing can render the most suitable outward and inward trials effectual, but the power of the Spirit of God. See here how God’s giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. All God’s gifts are in pursuance of his promises. Moses repeats the warning he had often given of the fatal consequences of forsaking God. Those who follow others in sin, will follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare. (Henry)

42.v. “Wilderness” – 7.d. Sinai – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image”

Exodus 20:4  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Leviticus 19:4    Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 26:1    “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 4:15  “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully.

Deuteronomy 4:23  Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you

Deuteronomy 27:15   “‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’

Psalms 97:7    All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols;

Isaiah 42:8   I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Isaiah 44:9   All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.

Isaiah 45:16    All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together.

Jeremiah 10:3  for the customs of the peoples are vanity.

Jeremiah 10:8-9    They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!

Romans 1:23   and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Revelation 9:20    The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,

God would have no likeness made of Him, no representation that might cloud the conception of His entire separation from matter, His purely spiritual essence. (Ellicott)

As the first commandment forbids the worship of any false god, seen or unseen, it is here forbidden to worship an image of any sort, whether the figure of a false deity or one in any way symbolic of Yahweh. (Barnes)

“After declaring in the first commandment who was the true God, He commanded that He alone should be worshipped; and now He defines what is His lawful worship” (Calvin). “Thou shalt not make to thyself a likeness and any form of that which is in heaven above,” etc. עשׂה is construed with a double accusative, so that the literal rendering would be “make, as a likeness and any form, that which is in heaven,” (Brown)

There is no God but Me. Don’t worship or place in worship anything but Me. Also, don’t make an image of Me or anything else, and indeed don’t worship it. We may find this type of worship foolish and even a bit old fashion. No one in the western world would do anything like this. Maybe some satan worshipers or others hope to find peace of mind through some eastern religion. For the most part, we think this is foolish to fashion an idol and place it in our home or church to worship it. The western world is far above this, but I might say, much further away from knowing God. The western world, for the most part, denies God, things of God, and the Word of God. They say there is no God and then live a life that is void of Him and any worship of Him. The idolaters at least try to have a god to serve – howbeit ever so wrong and God-defying. No, the western world is a place of self-reliant enlightenment. In this, they find what the world has to offer pleasing and though it never seems to satisfy an inner hunger, they keep chasing after it. Their idol is things of this world and what it has to offer. Though they may not make it an animate object of worship, it is an inanimate object of worship.

Note the verses above to those who deny and reject God and His commandments.

36.j. Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:9-10 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

Romans 4:19-24 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Galatians 3:5-7 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? – just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

There was a good reason for God to say this. Abram had just defeated a much larger army made up of a partnership of four kings. He had reason to be afraid, expecting an attack of retribution. God told Abram this because he was afraid, and afraid for good reasons. Yet God also gave him a reason to put away his fear. God doesn’t tell us do not be afraid without giving us a reason to put away our fear.

God knows how to become the answer to our need. When we need a shield or a reward, He becomes those things for us. “I do not think that any human mind can ever grasp the fullness of meaning of these four words, ‘I am thy reward.’ God himself the reward of his faithful people” “If God be our reward, let us take care that we do really enjoy him. Let us exult in him, and let us not be pining after any other joy.” (Spurgeon).

The faith that made Abram righteous wasn’t so much believing in God (as we usually speak of believing in God), as it was believing God. Those who only believe in God (in the sense of believing He exists) are merely on the same level as demons.

Believing in God or believing God – Believing in God does not mean you believe Him, His Word, and what it says. Believing in God without believing God is like believing there is eternal heaven but never seeking or desiring the righteousness to find home there upon death. You might believe in God but discount the need for repentance, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, obedience, and reliance on Jesus Christ. You might believe in God but never give thought to humble surrender before Him. You may believe in God but never spend time in His Word. You may believe in God but never expect to hear those quiet whispers deep in your heart and soul that would lead you to believe Him. You may believe in God but never choose to live a life that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ in all you say, think, and do. Believing God is more than just believing in God. There is a transformation in your life. A new birth. A spiritual birth. You become a new creation. born-again. Never let believing in God be the end of your submission and reliance on Him. Believe God, believe His Word, and learn to apply it in your life for His honor and glory.

34.a. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Job 9:20    Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

Job 15:14   What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

Job 25:4    How then can man be in the right before God?

Isaiah 57:12     I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

Romans 3:20    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 9:16    So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Romans 11:6    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9     For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Religion is a system of beliefs leading to the worship of a divine being. Based on such a definition, Christianity is a religion. But there are ways in which Christianity is different from all other religions—primarily, the value of the human being in the sight of the Deity. In Christianity, God reaches out to mankind to establish a relationship—in spite of man’s sins and disregard for God’s ways. In every other religion, man must gain merit before God through works or sacrifices before receiving any blessing from God. But the opposite is true in Christianity. The Bible says that God (by His own initiative) so loved mankind (in spite of his sins) that He bridged the gulf between God and man (through the Person of Jesus Christ). God’s mercy resulted in man not suffering the punishment he deserves but instead receiving the blessing and forgiveness he doesn’t deserve.

Have you responded to the kindness and mercy of God by accepting His gift of salvation? You may do so by saying “Yes” as an act of faith in Christ.

(Dr. Jeremiah)

28.t. “Think about these things”

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

1 Thessalonians 4:12    so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Titus 3:14   And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

1 Peter 2:12   Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Titus 2:14    who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7    Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

What in life is true, sincere, and genuine? How do we know what is true? What is honorable, respectable, moral? What is just, fair, equitable, ethical, and impartial? What is pure, uncontaminated, wholesome, innocent, and above reproach? What is lovely, pleasing, and heavenly? These are seemingly easy questions but just try to answer them. How we answer them will depend on the conditioning of our hearts and minds. What feeds our hearts and minds will be how we define truth, honor, justice, purity, and what is lovely. We can easily see flagrant cases of the opposite. However, the lines blur when we try to define truth, honor, justice, purity, and love. Culturally acceptance does not make for a good basis to define them. Culturally, a homosexual life is acceptable and called an alternative lifestyle. Abortion is acceptable and called a right. Pride is acceptable and is called a self-made man. Greed is acceptable and called being a good businessman. Pornography is acceptable and called adult entertainment. In the eyes of God, they are all void of godliness, holiness, and righteousness.

Much of the Christian life comes down to the mind. Romans 12:2 speaks of the essential place of being transformed by the renewing of your mind and 2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of the importance of casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. What we choose to meditate on matters. (Guzik)

What is it that mingles around in your mind throughout the day? Is it thinking about things of God? Is there any time during the day you are mauling over His Word, what it means or how to apply it? Are we seeking wisdom and understanding between (holiness, godliness, and righteousness) and things of this world? Do we even try? When I was in my early 20’s my old Pastor (in his mid 50’s) (I don’t think this is old anymore) said it seems like the church is only 10 to 15 years behind in accepting what the world says is ok. In my 60’s now I find this to be so true. I fear to say it, but I know it to be true, God’s Word is being neglected in our daily lives, many Pastors proclaim shallow truth and do not address culturally accepted norms, and our thinking has become void of that which is pure, true, just, honorable, and lovely. It would seem most Christians shamefully find it easier to fill their minds with CNN, FOX, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, ……………………… than to fill it with God’s Word even one-tenth of the time. Test me on this and you will find it is not far off. What would it take to clarify what is true, just, honorable, pure, and lovely? Try this, intentionally choose to be void of any time listening to or reading CNN, FOX, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, … for one week. Read God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your mind and thoughts in what is true, just, honorable, pure, and lovely. Try it. I know without any hesitation that you will see things differently. The hymn by Helen Lemmel has this line, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

“Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts.” Yes, we are responsible for the thoughts we cultivate in our minds. (James Allen)

27.d. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.”

Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Nehemiah 9:17  They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

Psalms 51:1   Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Isaiah 55:6-8    “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Psalms 103:8-11   The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

Romans 5:8    but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:24    and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

“As they were corrupt in their nature, and sinful in their practice, they could possess no merit, nor have any claim upon God; and it required much mercy to remove so much misery, and to pardon such transgressions.” (Clarke) Every reason for God’s mercy and love is found in Him. We give Him no reason to love us, yet in the greatness of His love, He loves us with that great love anyway. Therefore, we must stop trying to make ourselves lovable to God, and simply receive His great love while recognizing that we are unworthy of it. This is the grace secret of the Christian life. (Guzik) He did not wait until we were lovable. He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, providing nothing lovable to Him. The work of God’s grace, in no way involving man’s merit. Our salvation – our rescue – from spiritual death is God’s work done for the undeserving.

Stop trying to earn God’s love and grace. You never can and never will. Stop keeping a ledger book of all your good and bad deeds in your head hoping the good will outweigh the bad, but rather confess them, repent from them, and lean on Jesus Christ alone. When we willfully choose to disobey God, (knowingly sin), there is no other way to erase it but through trusting in Him alone and resting on His forgiveness, grace, and love. One way to see the greatness of the grace of God is to see how He begs man to receive it. When we offer a gift to someone and they refuse it, we are likely to allow them to refuse and leave them alone. God does not do this with us; even when we refuse His mercy He reaches into His storehouse of grace and persists with us, begging us to receive the free gift. He pursues us. He stands at the door of our hearts and knocks asking to be let in. It is in the rejection of God’s grace and mercy whereby people will spend eternity in Hell.

26.x. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”

Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Philippians 3:3   For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

Philippians 3:7-11     But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 6:6    We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Colossians 3:1-3    If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

1 John 5:4-5   For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Paul’s heart cared nothing for the glory that came from fame. He cared nothing for the glory that came from riches. He cared nothing for the glory that came from status and power among men. He only cared about the glory of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote about having crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Now with the flesh on the cross he also put the world on the cross, and considers himself dead to the world. The world could not have any influence over Paul if it were dead, and Paul could not respond to any influence from it if he were dead to the world. The world, in the sense Paul means it here, was not the global earth; nor was it the mass of humanity (which God Himself loves, John 3:16). Instead, it was the community of sinful humanity that is united in rebellion against God. (Guzik)

The battle between fleshly/worldly and things of God is very real. Sometimes it becomes hard to bring these two differences into focus. The fleshly and worldly make promises it can not keep (purpose, satisfaction, power, wisdom, honor, glory, worthiness). These are promises filled with deceit. As soon as some portion is reached, it fades as fast as it came. It consumes time, both physically and mentally. It will rob your heart, exhausting your soul, and fill you with emptiness. It presents itself as our friend who wants to fill our minds with what it thinks is important. It gains foundational roots in our hearts from the minute we were born into this world. It hides exposure by subtle watering and fertilization of the lusts and wants of our sinful nature. It produces worthless sour and bitter fruit that fills the heart and mind but never satisfies. It convinces the heart and mind that it is sweet as honey and you want/need more of it.

The greatest gift from God was His grace, mercy, and love found in and through Jesus Christ. He offers salvation, redemption, and forgiveness to those who would believe, trust, repent and obey. In His mercy, grace, and love He offers life more abundantly, a purpose for the heavenly, and the power of the Holy Spirit to discern and fight off/resist the fleshly/worldly. Without discernment, it is very hard to recognize what is worldly and of the flesh. To have discernment requires you to know the difference between what you see, hear, think, say, and do. How is a person discern whether or not what they see, hear, think, say, and do is fleshly/worldly or godly/heavenly. Every waking moment the eyes and ears to our hearts, minds, and souls are blasted with the worldly and fleshly. These fiery darts come at us every second of every moment. Everyone is targeted. Not a second goes by where there is not an attack on your soul. The problem is having the ability to discern them. God’s Word is our shield against the onslaught of lies and deception of the worldly/fleshly. Yet, how many are prepared for the battle for their soul? How many Christians bring up the Shield of His Word on Sundays but live every other day without its defense? How many fiery darts have punched the heart and soul and the person is not even aware they are seriously wounded? Do we expect God to give us discernment when we neglect His Word? It is through His Word we find true, hope, peace, strength, joy, love, and purpose and satisfaction for our soul. The lies, false hopes and promises, fear, anger, anxiousness, worries, and the shallowness of what the flesh and worldly have to offer are exposed. It is not the spending of time reading His Word, but rather this with a pure foundation of seeking and desiring things of God to honor and glorify Him alone. We will never find the Holy Spirit giving discernment when the heart and mind are set on things of the flesh and this world. How can we say the desires and promises of this world are crucified to me when we can’t even discern the difference between what it offers and things of God?

26.t. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only”

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Proverbs 25:14    Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

Proverbs 26:12    Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Romans 12:3    For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

1 Corinthians 3:18   Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

James 1:22     But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:26   If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Proverbs 14:14    The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

As much as anything, pride is self-focus. Pride doesn’t necessarily say, “I’m better than you are.” Pride simply says, “I’m more important than you are, so I deserve more of my own attention and love than you do.” It also stifles ministry in another way. Out of pride, people will refuse to receive help when someone else reaches out to help bear their burden. Instead, Biblical humility tells us, “I am no more important than you are. Let me care about your burdens and needs.” Or to say, “I need help”. It is important to understand that Paul wrote to every Christian when he said, “When he is nothing.” In the sense Paul uses the idea here, it isn’t that some Christians are something, and others are nothing, and the problem is that the nothings think they are one of the somethings. Instead, Paul writes with the same idea behind Philippians 2:3b-4: In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. If I esteem you above me, and you esteem me above you, a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on. (Guzik)

“The meaning is more general and should therefore be expressed thus, ‘Since all men are nothing, he who wishes to appear something and persuades himself that he is somebody, deceives himself.’” (Calvin)

There are few things more self-deceptive than pride. To be proud is to be blind – blind to the freely given favor and gifts of God, blind to our sin and depravity, blind to the good in others, and blind to the foolishness of self-centeredness.

We often get angry when someone deceives us. Yet we don’t take the danger of deceiving ourselves as seriously as we should. It is a serious and terrible thing to deceive yourself. “The misery of most men is, that their minds are as ill set as their eyes, neither of them look inwards.” (Trapp)

Instead of deceiving ourselves, we must take a careful and sober examination of our lives (what we say, think, and do, where and what we spend our time on, am I seeking and desiring to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.) The Bible speaks of a day when our works will be examined before the Lord. Strive to have your works reveal humble humility, obedience, reliance, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ and in love, bearing the burdens on to another.

25.x. “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.”

2 Corinthians 12:5 I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Chronicles 26:16   But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God

2 Chronicles 32:25-26    But Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him

Daniel 5:20    But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

Judges 2:3   So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides,

Job 2:7   So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Luke 13:16    And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Do you ever wonder what turns the heart and soul of a person, proud? What is it that flips a switch in us and makes us think highly of what we have accomplished? We read of Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh and we know that it was given to him, by God, through Satan. The purpose was to keep in from not becoming proud. A proud heart will put self in front of God, think more highly of themselves than they ought, and look at others as less than they are. We are not immune to pride. It can attack us when we least expect it. It can start with simple enough thoughts of accomplishment but then on our own or with a nudge from Satan can turn into more. It is something I did. It is something I can do better than you. It is something reflecting my talent and superiority. It is something I can afford and you can’t. It is something your children have succeeded in. It can be in your intellect, strength, physical appearance. We are not immune to this. So how does a person fall for the bait of pride? When we are lax in studying His Word. When we are living in the presence of this world and not in the presence of God. We live to please ourselves more than God. When we honor and glorify ourselves rather than God. When we are consumed with worldly desires and wants over things of God. Yes, it will happen when we put anything number 1 and God somewhere else down in the list of priorities.

Do we think that any of our abilities came about by the sheer will of our mind or strength? Do we think it is of our doing? Our physical strength, mental intellect, and other abilities all come from God. Some will use these abilities to do some of the most vicious and hardhearted crimes against mankind. We know scripture tells us of times when bad things were done by people to Christians and God used it for good. We seem to have the ability to use our abilities that were given to us for good and what should be used for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ into or for something bad and contrary to that very purpose. Our ability to think, do, speak, reason, understand, etc…. were all given to us, by God, and how we use them is freely given to us as well. Feed your heart, mind, and soul with God’s Word and pray for the ability to discern the temptation of pride.

Paul, once he understood and knew why God had “given” him this thorn in the flesh he was happy to bear it. He knew it was to keep him from becoming proud. Paul also knew this “Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” We all ought to be so set against being proud that we seek God continually to expose it so that we can live to give Him “ALL” honor and glory.

24.x. “On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

2 Corintihians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Psalms 44:6-7   For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.  But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.

Proverbs 28:26    Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Jeremiah 9:23-24     Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 17:5-7    Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.  He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

Whatever the problem was, it was bad. Because of this problem, Paul lived with the awareness that he might die at any time. He was able to able to learn from this and say – “not to rely on ourselves but on God”. He has delivered us, He is delivering us, and He will deliver us – past, present, future. David, though he used bow and sword, said that he did not trust in them even thought there was victory – It was all of God and not by their might, talent, power, or strength that victory was gained.

It is when we seek deliverance and rely on self, how is God to help? Life is marked by events, and our life is lived either in anticipation of those events (looking to the future) or in reflection upon them (looking to the past). In either situation, stress is a possibility. We may be concerned about what is coming, or we may be exhausted by what has happened. Whenever life drains you of strength, let God be your source for refreshment (Psalm 23:1-3). Make prayer your first choice when it comes to unburdening your soul of what this world has done, is doing, and will do that adversely affects you. God is not limited and will deliver you. His strength, His power, His might, His timing.