“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,”
Genesis 41:15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
2 Kings 6:27 And he said, “If the LORD will not help you, how shall I help you?
Daniel 2:18-23 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Daniel 2:28-30 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Acts 14:14-15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
As a christian believer how many times a day do we think our accomplishments are the work of our strength, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding? How many times do we look at the work of our hands and proudly claim it as such. Are these not given to us by God? Are they not given to us so that God is glorified and honored?
Me, myself, and I are always under the surface of our sinful nature trying to be first for praise, first for credit, first for acknowledgment. We must be aware of this.
Placing Him first is a daily choice of the heart and mind. It is a moment by moment choice. Placing God first is a direct result of a desire to do so. We would be hard pressed to keep Him first apart from daily seeking Him, needing to be fed by Him, wanting to honor and glorify Him, desiring to hear His whispers, and seeking to follow and obey Him.
It is not so much about reading His word every day (though this is always a good thing to do) but the want, need, desire to do so that will keep (me, myself and I) at bay. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”. “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.” “My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” “my soul thirsts for you like a parched land” “ My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.” “my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning”