Tag: Honor

25.j. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,”

 

2 Corinthians 6:3  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

 Ezekiel 16:8    “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.

 Luke 19:42-44    saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 Hebrews 3:7     Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

 Hebrews 3:13   But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

 Hebrews 4:7    again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

  God has an acceptable time for us to work with His grace. God has a day of salvation that will not last forever. This is no time for Christian lives consumed with ease and comfort and self-focus. It is time to get busy for the Lord and to be workers together with Him.  What is it that keeps us from seeing, knowing, and doing the Work of God?  Is it trials? Is it ease and comfort? Are we deceived or influenced into believing He can’t or won’t use us?  Do we find excuse after excuse, time and time again?  I am not knowledgeable in the bible enough to be used by God.  I am too busy.  I am not good enough.  I am not brave enough.  I am not worthy enough.  The list is as long as the number of excuses we make that keeps us from making a commitment to listen and then obey.  Is the world influencing your ability to listen?  Does it steal time away from working for God? Does it deafen your ears to hear His leading and calls for action in your life?  

When we understand that our purpose in this life is to honor and glorify God in all we say, think, and do, it is then we will begin to understand His leading and calling and purpose and plans for our lives.  Today is the day.  Now is the moment. Right now.  Make an intentional choice to make God-honoring and God-glorifying the reason for all you say, think, and do.

20.y. “Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

Romans 12:9  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Psalms 55:21   His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

 Psalms 36:4   He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

 Proverbs 8:13   The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

 Proverbs 26:25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart;

 Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

 Psalms 34:14    Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

 Amos 5:15   Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

 Psalms 101:3   I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.

 1 Peter 3:10-11  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;  let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

I like where David says “ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”  He has purposed in his heart to know what is good, true, and right and by knowing this he is able to discern what is evil and worthless.  Though he sees it and though others are doing or following after it, it will not cling to him.  He has purposed in his heart to keep his life from evil and to do that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ.  

How is a person to know what is worthless and how to keep it from clinging to us?  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such 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.”  We need to be able to recognize and discern the difference between that which is worthless and that which is right, true, pure, honorable, and lovely.  God’s Word will always bring to mind the difference.  Sometimes this wisdom comes immediately and other times it is a work in progress.  The problem is that God’s Word does not reside in the hearts and minds of many.  Meditation on His Word is what is able to soak in on a Sunday morning a couple of times per month.  There is so much distraction in the world today.  It is at our fingertips all our waking moments and unless there is a purposed restraint it will consume our hearts and minds.  It is in this consumption that we become neglectful and complacent to the Word of God and things of God.  Take an inventory of what is worthless in the world.  Make a list of what you see as worthless.  Spend some time looking at God’s view of what is worthless in this world.  Seek and desire to know the difference.

20.s.”But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.”

 

Romans 11:25  Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

2 Corinthians 3:14  But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Romans 1:18   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Israel is a chosen people, blessed by God, and used by God.  Great promises were given to them.  Great miracles and acts of power were shown to them.  Great mercies were given to them.  Jesus, the man, entered into this world through them.  Jesus, the Son of God, came to redeem them and save them from the curse of death. Jesus’s ministry was first to them.  Jesus did many signs and wonders among them. Jesus was rejected by them. The message of the Gospel was proclaimed through them.  After Jesus’s resurrection, they rejected Him again.  Paul is explaining that this mystery of God is all part of God’s plan and purpose.  At some point in the near future Jesus Christ will return and whatever veil has been placed over their eyes of understanding will be lifted and they will come to worship, honor, and glorify Jesus Christ.  This veil has not been placed over (gentile) our eyes of understanding.  No, the Gospel has been made clear and all of creation bears witness to us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that out of God’s grace, love, and mercy He calls out to all of mankind to believe in/on Jesus Christ.  There is no hardening or darkening or veil over us.  We clearly see and, thereby, clearly reject or accept/receive this precious gift of forgiveness, salvation, and redemption through Jesus Christ.  We have no excuse.  When we die and are immediately ushered into eternity and stand before Jesus on the Day of Judgment, we will have no grounds to stand on. A person’s receipt/acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ in this life determine one’s destiny for eternity in heaven or eternity in hell.  There is no veil that blocks our understanding of the gift of God through Jesus Christ.  It is out of a pure rejection of God’s grace, mercy, and love whereby we are judged guilty.  God gave us His written Word, sent His Son to pay the price of sin, and did many witnessed and recorded signs, wonders, and miracles so that we would see and know of His love for us.  This is made clear in, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” We are without excuse when we reject this great and precious gift of grace, mercy, and love.

17.u. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light”

 John 12:30   Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

 John 5:22-27   For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

 Acts 26:18    to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 2 Corinthians 4:4   In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 Hebrews 2:14    Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

 1 John 3:8    Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Now is the time of judgment.  Jesus came to suffer and die to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and of judgment and the penalty of sin. To say there is no God and no sin is to believe a lie.  A lie that Satan has been promoting since creation.  Throughout history, man has either chosen to embrace this lie or reject it.  Embracing the lies of Satan will seem to give a certain amount of self-satisfaction, self-reliance, and self-importance.  Pride, greed, hate, anger, and fear are manifestations of embracing Satan’s lies.  They consume the soul and blind the eyes of our souls to the light of Jesus Christ.  These lies are promoted by “sons of disobedience”.  Those who willing choose to deny and reject God and His Son Jesus Christ.  Satan’s lies will be laced with half-truths and have the ability to water down the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the point of it having no impact in their lives.  This is so sad.  On Judgment Day these people, from across all walks of life and from the beginning of creation, will bow before the One they have rejected and denied.  They will be judged unworthy because of their unbelief and lack of trusting in, clinging to, and relying on Jesus Christ. They will be judge righteously in the light of Him who they have rejected.  They will receive their just reward for this rejection and denial – an eternity in torment – total separation from God,- in total darkness void of anything but unimaginable pain and suffering – for all of eternity.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

Today is the day of salvation. Do not delay a second longer.  Do not plan on it for another day or time in your life.  How many people will end up in hell tormented for eternity because they chose to live another day for themselves rather than surrendering to the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ?

17.o. Sitting at the feet of Jesus

John 12:1   Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Luke 10:39   And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’* feet and heard His word.

John 11:32    Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Mary has sat at the feet of Jesus and learned.  She sat at His feet in mournful surrender. And she sat at His feet and honored Him with oil.  How can we learn if we do not spend time listening with a desire to hear Him speak?  How can we surrender our broken heart at His feet if we don’t believe in His comfort in a time of grief?  How can we honor Him if we do not know and see His holiness and worthiness?

Outside of the betrayal of Jesus, Judas is only mentioned in the New Testament here for doing/saying something that would indicate his heart was not right. We do not know if the disciples knew that Judas was a thief.  This may have been hidden from them or not.  John indicates he knew he was helping himself to the money given to them and their ministry with Jesus.  Was it greed that overcame Judas’s heart?  Is this how satan took a foothold? We need to be mindful that sin is the fishing pond of satan.  Once hooked no amount of thrashing about will calm these troubled waters unless there is complete surrender to and belief in Jesus Christ.

14.f. “Partial obedience is not obedience”

Malachi 3:8  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Haggai 1:6-11   You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.  Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.  You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.  Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.

Proverbs 3:9-10   Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;  then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.  The title grabbed my attention: “Our Church Was Robbed Recently.” The story that followed said:  “We are thankful that no one was injured physically, but it will be some time before things are back to normal. It’s clear that more than one person is responsible – in fact, there may actually be many people who have been party to the crime. Two things are most unfortunate about the robbery – one is that we have no assurances that it won’t happen again, and that is a bit unnerving! The other unfortunate element is that we’re certain that those who carried out the robbery are members of our church. It’s bad enough to know that a theft has occurred, but it’s really hard to imagine that professing Christians would actually steal from God and the ministries of his church. We can certainly hope that anyone who has participated in this act will repent and repay what has been taken. It’s reported that some of the stolen money has been used for vacations, cars, boats, designer clothes, athletic equipment, homes, and even dining out. We don’t have a complete list of all the suspects, but there is consolation in knowing that God does. “You haven’t read about this in the papers and hopefully you won’t. I realize that some of you will disagree, but it would be difficult to get a conviction in the courts given the clever way in which the robbery was carried out. You are probably also interested in how much was taken. The amount is undetermined, but at the very least exceeds many thousands of dollars. “By the way, the robbery happened in full view of the church during Sunday services. It happened as the offering plates were passed during Sunday school and worship. It also happened as people who didn’t come simply didn’t give the Lord’s tithe.”

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.

by Rick Ezell

12.y.O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you”

Zephaniah 3:14    Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Psalms 42:2-4    My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalms 63:1-2   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.

Jeremiah 31:9    With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Romans 11:25-26    Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Even in our trials and troubles, God is with us.  “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart”. “The Lord is with you”, “I will rescue”, “I will gather”, “I will bring you home”, “I will give”, and “I will restore”.  These are all from God.  When all around us may be failing and falling apart, God has not changed and His promises are true, His grace, mercy, and love are steadfast, His presences is ever-present, His power to do more than we ask or can imagine is never limited, and all His foes, defiers, and deniers will be defeated and their plans destroyed.  Our God is greater.  Our God is all-powerful, Our God is all-knowing. Our God is all-in-all.  He is our God.  Do not allow fear, confusion, and worry place a cloud over you, blocking you from standing in the light of Our God, savior, redeemer, and King of kings.  He is God Almighty.

12.t. “And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

Zephaniah 2:10  This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty. The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

Isaiah 16:6     We have heard of the pride of Moab— how proud he is!— of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right.

Daniel 4:37    Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 5:20-23     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.

Obadiah 1:3    The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?”

1 Peter 5:5    Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Isaiah 37:23    “‘Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!

This shall they have for their pride,…. This calamity shall come upon their land, for their pride, which often goes before a fall; and has frequently been the cause of the ruin of kingdoms and states, and of particular persons; and indeed seems to have been the first sin of the apostate angels, and of fallen man. Because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts; they looked with disdain upon them, as greatly below them; and spoke contemptibly of them, of their nation, and religion; and “made” themselves “great”, and set up themselves “above” them, opened their mouths wide, and gave their tongues great liberties in blaspheming and reviling them: what was done to them is taken by the Lord as done to himself;  (Gill’s Exposition)

A little pride is enough to drag a person into the pit of arrogance and self-reliance and self-worth.  Humility is replaced by that which glorifies self rather than God.  Pride is  deep rooted in our sinful nature.  It will battle for control of our thoughts and actions.  It will make unrighteous statements that bring no glory or honor to Jesus Christ.  How do we recognize pride in ourselves?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see it cleary when we look into the mirror?  We would be able to address it the minute it appears.  But that is not the case.  We can’t see it in the mirror.  Others might see it in us in how we talk but for sure we will not.  The only way to clearly see pride in our lives is through the Word of God, desiring Him to show us, having a willing heart to receive His Word, and humbly seeking the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives.  There is no other way for pride to be exposed so we can repent and turn away from it.  Ask God to show any prideful ways in your heart and be willing to confess and turn away from them.

12.h. “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

Habakkuk 2:9  “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house  by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.

Deuteronomy 7:25-26    The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.  And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Job 20: 19-20     For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.  “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

Obadiah 1:4    Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.

Proverbs 18:11-12    A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.  Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Psalms 52:7     “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are the entangling snares of men. When our hearts are given over to these lusts it is taken captive by a very jealous and powerful master.  These lusts are a thick dark staining clay.  Those who think they can handle it are easily dirtied and soiled with a stain that is very hard to wash from the heart. They will find not find happiness and satisfaction in this clay no matter how they mold it. Seeking after an abundance of wealth is the ruin of many. And what fools are those that burden themselves with continual care about it; with a great deal of guilt in getting, saving, and spending it, and with a heavy account which they must give another day! They overload themselves with this thick staining clay, and soon do not even notice how badly their soul is stained.  They live in fear of not having enough and run blindly through life on a path that leads straight to hell. When we give in to covetousness and lust of the eye and allow it to take root in our hearts it will bring along with it troubles, confusion, fear, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, and brings darkness so dark that only the Word of God can shine through.   If we think for one moment that we can manage these lusts of staining clay and not be stained by them we are certainly void of the wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word.  There are no greater slaves in the world than those who are slaves to worldly pursuits and lusts. And what comes of it? They will find life very disappointing and without lasting purpose. There is nothing in worldly lusts that honors and glorifies God.

12.d. “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Habakkuk 2:4  “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Daniel 4:37    Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Luke 18:14     For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Daniel 5:20-23     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.

John 3:36    Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Hebrews 10:38    but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Pride and arrogance are very dangerous for the soul.  They will blind you in darkness and shut out any light of the working of the Holy Spirit of God.  Satan, the Prince of darkness reigns and is the king of darkness, dark-things, dark-thoughts, dark-actions, dark-words, dark-wants, dark-pleasure, hatred, anger, jealousy, coveting, pride, arrogance, immorality, neglect, complacency, fear, defiance, etc…. Our sinful nature seems to have a great deal of this darkness attached to our heart, mind, and soul.  This darkness has an appetite for more and more and, once tasted, hungers for more.   The Word of God brings light into the dark places of our soul and exposes all darkness.  It is very possible and probable that we have darkness in some areas of our lives.  How can this be?  We neglect His Word which will expose this darkness.  We have closed the door to our hearts, mind, and soul for some areas of our life.  Through neglect of His Word our hunger and thirst for humbly serving, honoring, following, obeying, and trusting Him leaves areas in our life in darkness. We need to be very mindful of the fact that there is no neutral state in a Christian’s life.  There is either growth or decay.  When our lives are stagnating, darkness festers and want for the Word of God is not to be found.     The shadow of darkness grows bigger and bigger as we slide further and further away from the light of God’s Word.  It is hard to see the light of Jesus Christ when the only light you have in life is that of darkness.  It is also impossible for those areas of our life, where we have chosen to keep in darkness, to ever change if we are not humbly submitting our hearts, minds, and souls to the life-changing Word of God.  Be ever conscious of the sinful nature within you that wants to keep some areas of your life darkness.  Our faith will never grow in darkness, it needs the Light of God’s Word. We do well to have a heart like David and this be an ever-present prayer on our heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!