"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT KING DAVID'S DYING WORDS OF WISDOM"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT KING DAVID'S DYING WORDS OF WISDOM"

1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:

1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

1Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His
commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

1Kings 2:4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

King David had reigned as King for 40 Years. He is called in Scripture a "man after God's own heart" He is also portrayed for us in Scripture as a man, a normal man, meaning, he made mistakes like any man. He had his share of sin. But, he also like any Godly man, repented and sought forgiveness, and found grace from God. He is a man who gained wisdom as many of us do, through the mistakes and sins of in our lives. Thus it's worth listening to his dying words of advice to his son Solomon who was about to assume the responsibilities of leadership over Israel as the new king.

1. David's last words were words of wisdom.
1Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:

David was drawing near to death. David's last words are recorded for us here. They are indeed words of wisdom.
He charged his son Solomon. The word charged, or charge has the idea and meaning of to command, to appoint, to order, to ordain. David had made his share of mistakes, and he was hoping that through the wise counsel he was giving, that it might keep Solomon on the right track. Thus, He charged his son to take his advice.

2. David started by saying two things to Solomon.
1Kings 2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

(1) Be strong. Or take courage. Courage is indeed something we can take, or receive from the Lord. It means to strengthen, prevail, be firm, be resolute.

Paul said the same thing in 1st Cor 16:13 Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. So, this is something we can be, it's a matter of making the choice to do so. It's a good bit of advice for sure.

(2) And prove yourself a man. Or "and be a man" I'm certain the idea here is be what you ought to be. Be the man who does what he is supposed to do. Live up to what God has made you to be. It's similar to take courage, and it's again something we choose to do. Be a man Solomon. You will need to be this in order to do what is before you.

3. Here are two more specifics of Godly wisdom, along with a promise.
1Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His
commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

(1) Keep the charge of the LORD your God. To walk in His ways. To keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements and His testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses. In simple terms, obey what God has said. Do what God has said. Walk in the ways of the Lord. Look to the Word of God, and then by His grace do what He has told you to do. This obedience is exactly what Jesus did, and He is our example for walking with God.
Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

(2) That you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn. This is really the fruit of obedience to God.
And, it's that we prosper in what we do, and in the ways that we go. The word prosper means, to understand, to be prudent, to have insight, to comprehend, to have success.

This is the same thing that God told Joshua as he was assuming his role of leadership.

Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

4. Finally, here's how this reads in the NLT 1 Kings 2:4 If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me: ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

Some questions:

1. Have you ever been given good advice that you did not take? And, what was the result?

2. Do you believe that God can give you all that you need to live for Him, and serve Him?

3. Isn't it a blessing that the ways of the Lord are given to us in His Word. It's like a roadmap for us.

4. And, isn't it a blessing that God has given us faith to believe Him.

5. Would you take a moment right now to think about how the Lord is speaking to you, and what He is directing you to do, and would you yield yourself to Him in that regard?

6. Finally, will You also by faith thank Him, that through His Word, and your obedience, that He is going to bless you in what He has called you to do?

A prayer:

Father, day by day, You give us daily bread. Not only for our bodies, but for our souls. Thank You for both of them. King David is in heaven today, we will meet him when we arrive there. Thank You for sharing his life story with us. From being a boy who slew a giant, to being a man who fell prey to temptation, and suffered the consequences of his sin. He finally repented and confessed his sin to God, and was forgiven and restored to his kingdom. He had other failures as well, and many, many victories. He was a man who had learned to trust in God, and found God to be faithful. Thank You Lord for giving us his story. May we learn from his wise words, and be wise men and women of God. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSING OF PLEASANT WORDS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSING OF PLEASANT WORDS"

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

As we know, Proverbs is God's book for living wisely in the day to day things of life. Here's proverb that talks about our speech, and the blessings that can be associated with it.

1. There is speech that is called pleasant.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Pleasant words, or kind words. That's the idea. We can speak in a kind way to others. And, here below are two verses from the New Testament about our speech, and about speaking with kindness.

Eph 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

2nd Tim 2:24 The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people.
Please notice, that these verses, are not an option for us, but rather God's instruction and command to us.
Isn't it a blessing to think that our Father, commands His children to speak with kindness to one another?

2. Pleasant speech is likened unto a honeycomb.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Or, pleasant words, kind words are like honey. Here's a beautiful verse. Jeremiah 32:22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before--a land flowing with milk and honey.

God was saying to them, that the land He would give them was like a sweetness. And, in application to us today as believers, this speaks of living our lives under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit. God has a blessed or sweet life for us to live. And, our speech can reflect what is going on inside of our hearts in our walk with the Lord. Our speech can be a blessing to others.

3. Pleasant speech brings blessing to our souls and our bodies.
Proverbs 16:20 Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. NLT

Please notice, that when we speak in a pleasant way, that two things happen. Our souls and our bodies are blessed. Isn't that interesting, that the way we speak has a lot to to do with how we feel, and in fact, it has a lot to do with the health of our bodies.

There is no one sweeter than God. And, when we walk with Him day by day, and allow Him to lead us, and take His Word into our hearts and obey it, we are transformed and become like honey. We can become a blessing to others and to ourselves.

Some questions:

1. Have you ever given much thought to how your speech affects you, and those around you?

2. How interesting that our speech can bring such a blessing into our lives, and the lives of others.

3. Jesus told us that our speech is connected to our hearts. In other words, what comes out of our mouths, is what is in our hearts.

4. Keeping our hearts pure before God will affect the way we speak.

5. How is your heart today? Do you need God's help in your heart?

6. Do You know that He loves You and wants to bless Your heart with more and more of Himself in Your life?

7. Will you take just a moment right now to ask Him to take full control of Your heart and life? He will do it.

A prayer:

Father, You are so good, and You want to bring Your goodness into our lives day by day. Thank You that we can get up each day and seek You, and find You, and experience Your blessings in our hearts. And, then wind up being a blessing not only to ourselves, but to others around us. Bless our hearts this day Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S BLESSING UPON HIS PEOPLE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S BLESSING UPON HIS PEOPLE"

Acts 3:25 “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

Acts 3:26 “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”s

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

These last two verses of Acts, Chapter 3, are also the last two things that the apostle Peter said as he preached the gospel following a miracle that took place. It was a Christ centered message that pointed out the truths of both God and man that had taken place in and through the arrest, trial, death, burial and the rising from the dead of Jesus. Peter went on to exhort his listeners to come to Christ for salvation. These two verses in today's devotional focus on the issue of how God has indeed blessed His people.

1. God has made a promise to His children.
Acts 3:25 “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

Peter was speaking to Jewish people at this moment. And, he was explaining to them, that they were the children of the prophets whom God had sent. And, that God had made a covenant or promise to their father Abraham.

The most important promise to Abraham was, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
Paul later explains in Rom 4, and in Gal, that the "seed" referenced here, is speaking of Jesus Christ. In other words, God had long ago, in Abraham's day made a promise to send Jesus Christ into the world. And of course we know that He did. God keeps His promises. God cannot lie. Thus when He makes a promise, He will fulfill it.

2. God fulfilled His promise in sending His son Jesus Christ.
Acts 3:26 “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”s

Now Peter goes into the detail of God's having fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
The one who would save any and all who would repent of their sins, turn to Him, and receive Him as their Savior.

Notice please what Peter said. Acts 3:26 “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you"

Jesus was sent first to the Jewish people. What an amazing blessing the children of Israel had. That God would send to their nation a Savior. So, it was to them first that God sent Jesus. And, the reason He sent Jesus was to bless them. To bring Heaven's blessing to earth.

3. The blessing of God is that we can be turned away from our iniquities.
Acts 3:26 “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”s

Now Peter explains what the blessing is. Notice again please what is said, Acts 3:26..... "sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”s

Iniquities, or sins, came into the world and brought a separation between God and man. The first mention of God providing a remedy for man's sin is found back in Gen 3, and in the 1st Epistle of Peter, it even explains that God had before creation planned to send Jesus to be our savior.

Savior from what?. Savior from our sins and iniquities. Sin brings separation, faith in Jesus Christ bridges that gap, and brings unity and fellowship with God. We are restored back into a relationship through Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

But, let's focus on one part of what Peter said, because it explains very precisely how God blesses us. Acts 3:26..... "sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”s. It is in our turning away or repenting from our iniquities or sins. The road to blessing starts with repentance from sin, and faith in Jesus Christ. And Paul tells us in Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

So, to sum it up. God made a promise to send a savior, and He did. And when a person turns to the Savior and receives Him, they are forgiven of their sins and made new creatures, they become the sons of God, saved for eternity.

There is in fact no greater blessing that God could give to man. Jesus put it this way.

Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Your soul is the most valuable thing you have. It's you. It's more valuable than all that is in the world. If you were able to have all that the world has to offer, but you lost your own soul, what good would all that you gained be? Nothing is the answer.

Some questions:

1.Isn't it a blessing that God has intended to bless you?

2. And, isn't it a blessing that He actually promised to bless you, and has made good on His promise?

3. Can you imagine what it would be like if you were still dead in your sins and iniquities?

4. What would life be like for you if you had remained separated from God?

5. Will You pray today about making our Great God known to others by the way you live and act?

6. Will you pray that God will open a door for you to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a needy soul?

A prayer:

Father, we have have become Your children. You have poured out Your goodness to us, and led us to turn to You and to receive the forgiveness of our sins. Thank You for loving us so much, that You sacrificed Your Son for us. We were and are undeserving of Your blessing. But, blessing us is what You promised to do, and You have done it. May our lives show the gratitude we have towards You by the way we live day by day. And, it's our sincere prayer to be used by You in the sharing of the good news of Jesus with others. In His name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING GOOD AND BEING HAPPY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FINDING GOOD AND BEING HAPPY"

Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

Some explanatory thoughts/explanation/questions and a prayer:

The Book of Proverbs, from which today's verse is taken has been given to us by God, and it contains practical suggestions for successful living. When you read through all 31 chapters, it's amazing how God has covered almost every area of life imaginable, and given us His wisdom about those areas. The one today is very simple, but profound, it's about "Finding good and being happy"

1. The person who will listen to instruction will prosper.
Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
That's essentially what is being said here. If a person will listen to God's Word, or if they will heed God's Word, they are going to find something. And, that something is called, "Good" or they will find "Prosperity" Or things going well for them, as compared to going bad.

The Word "good" means, better, best, prosperity, agreeable, glad, happy, right, welfare and happiness.
So, good can be found, but, it's a result of heeding the Word of God. of listening to God's instruction.

2. The person who trusts in the LORD will be a happy person.
Proverbs 16:20b And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

Once again, the one thing is the result of another. Happiness in the life of a Christian, is the fruit of trusting in the LORD, or having faith in God.

To trust or have faith means, to put your confidence in, to hope in, to be secure in.
We are given faith by God, and we gain more faith by listening to and receiving His Word into our lives. Faith comes by and through the Word of God.

Thus, you can see that a happy person is a person who is trusting in God, trusting in His Word. Happiness is one of the wonderful benefits of being in the Word of God.

Some questions:

1. Are you finding good at this time in your life?

2. Are you heeding the Word of God at this time in your life?

3. Do you spend time daily in God's Word?

4. Do you know God really wants to bless your life?

5. Do you want to trust God but are having trouble doing so?

6. Will you let Him help you to trust Him by becoming a person who reads and studies the Bible.?

7. Will you make that request of God today, to help you, and will you then act upon what God wants you to do?

A prayer:

Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be your name. You are great and mighty. We know Lord that You want Your will to be done in our lives, and that Your will comes through Your Word. Thank You for revealing Your will to us in Your Word. But, Lord, so often we have neglected Your Word, and than wonder why our lives are so empty and miserable. But Father You have given us a great promise here. May this promise become a new starting point for many of us today.

Proverbs 16:20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

We love You Father.
In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES"

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:

Following the Lord rising from the dead, He gave his last bit of instruction to the apostles who were about to begin their ministry in the world. But, before they did, Jesus knew they would need Heavenly power and ability, or power for the task that lay ahead of them. So, He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem, until they received what God the Father had promised through the prophet Joel.

Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.

Joel 2:29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Thus, You have Jesus telling the disciples to wait, because God was going to fulfill His promise. Which He did. And the entire 2nd Chapter of Acts is a record of that promise being fulfilled. But, let's look at Acts 1:8 in some depth, because this is also a promise for any believer today. For we need the same thing the early church leaders needed. We need God's power to live for Him, and to accomplish His will, and He is very willing that we receive it, and will give this power to whoever will ask Him for it.

1. The verse itself. Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

2. Please notice that the "you" being spoken to here are those who were born again followers of Jesus Christ. The apostles. Thus, "you" today would be a candidate if you will to receive this very same power in your life.

3. Jesus explained that God was going to give them something they did not yet have. Of course they did have the Holy Spirit residing in them, as do all true believers, but they did not yet have this power Jesus was spoken of, and I believe there are many true Christians today that also do not have this power. But they can, You can if you do not have this power.

4. Look at the verse again and see exactly what it says. Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Please notice, that Power is received through the Holy Spirit coming upon the believers. The Holy Spirit had been with them, leading them to Christ, He had come into them upon their being saved, but now He wanted to, and was about to overflow their lives with Divine power, strength, ability and might. He will do the same for you today.

5. Why? Why is this power needed, and for what purpose.? Look at the verse again for the answer. Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” It's so that we can be "witnesses to or of Christ" The Lord had saved these men, as I pray that He has You. You now know Him. But, He also wants to use your life to make "God known" to others. That's what being a witness is all about. It's making God known
But, the Lord is telling us in this verse, that we need His power to do that.

6. How do we receive this power? Good question, with a simple answer. Just ask Him for this power.
Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” See that last part?. "how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
That's all that is needed, "ask Him"

7. Then, and here's another wonderful truth about God's power. This is something that He wants to give You day by day. Eph 5:18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. In other words, don't allow wine to control your life, but let the Holy Spirit control you. And, this verse literally means, to "Be being filled with the Holy Spirit day by day, hour by hour etc, " Or to put it another way,

Ephesians 5:18
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
You know the truth—let your life show it!

15-21 Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days. Don’t be vague but firmly grasp what you know to be the will of God. Don’t get your stimulus from wine (for there is always the danger of excessive drinking), but let the Spirit stimulate your souls. Express your joy in singing among yourselves psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making music in your hearts for the ears of God! Thank God at all times for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And “fit in with” each other, because of your common reverence for Christ.

Some questions:

1. Are you familiar with this verse and teaching of Christ?

2. Can you see that He deems it needful to have God's power to do God's work?

3. Are you understanding that this is not something you earn, but receive for the asking?

4. And, it's not just a one time filling as it were. But rather constant daily refills as needed. And, we need refills day by day.

5. Have you asked Him for this power? Will you take a moment, and in reverence and in simple child like faith, just ask Jesus to fill You with the power of His Spirit? And, will You tell Him, that You want to Make Him known to the world around You.?

A prayer:

You have made Yourself known to us, and we want to make You known to those around us. But, we cannot do this on our own. We need the power of God in our lives. So, we ask today, this moment, to let us receive the power of the Holy Spirit, Let Him come upon us, just as He did here in the book of Acts. There is a world full of people we know that do not know You, and You want them to know You. Use us we pray to make You known.
In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WISDOM"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WISDOM"

Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:

As we know, the Book of Proverbs is God's Book of wisdom for us, teaching us His wisdom for daily living.
These verses deal with the relative value of wisdom and gold, understanding and silver. And the road that God has for those who walk up-rightly. And, finally, the danger of pride, what it will lead to.

1. There is something better than money.
Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Here, God tells us how much better one thing is over another. This is not what the world tells us, but, it is the truth of God, and it can be depended on. The two things that are better are wisdom and understanding.

Both of these are better. One can get wisdom, and one can get understanding. They are both a better choice.
We can live for money, or we can place the priorities of God above all else, and we will be the better off. Let's make God's wisdom and understanding what we choose over living for things that will eventually perish, and do not bring the satisfaction that wisdom and understanding can bring.

2. God's highway ( or path ) brings blessings to the upright.
Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

God says there are two roads in life, one is wide, and one is narrow. All men are on one or the other. One leads to life and one leads to destruction. God wants you and I to choose the one that leads to life. It's the King's highway, it's His path for you and I to walk on. We make our choice to do so, and in making that choice we will find it bringing great blessings. By going God's way, we will find ourselves safe and sound in the Lord. By going that way, we will find ourselves being led away from the evil within, and the evil around us. One last thing, going on God's highway also is a road that leads to the preserving of our souls. The other road leads to destruction and evil.

3. There is a warning here for us about the dangers of pride.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

The word or concept of pride here means, pomp, swelling, arrogance, to exalt oneself, to lift oneself up in a bad sense. It's a sin of the flesh. It's resident within our flesh, and we need to be aware of it, and repent of it when we become aware of it rising up in us.

Why? Because look at what the verse says. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

When we choose to live in arrogance, rather than humility, we are sure to find destruction just around the corner. What does a haughty spirit mean? It comes from a word meaning, to be exalted, lofty, tall, and to be arrogant. Not unlike pride. This is a sinful tendency that every man has to battle his entire life. It's worth fighting the battle against it. For, if haughtiness takes over, we are headed for a fall.

The Lord promises otherwise to the humble.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

1Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Some questions:

1. Do you find yourself dealing with pride and arrogance from time to time?

2. What are the situations that you find yourself in, that seem to bring these sins out in your life?

3. Have you found these verse true in your life?

4. How would you describe the blessings of humility versus the dangers of pride?

5. Do you believe the promise of God to bless your humility?

6. Is there something You need to do today to take heed to the wisdom in these verses?

A prayer:

Father, there has never been anyone as humble as Jesus Christ to walk this earth. His humility has led to our salvation by our trusting in His death for our sins. Yet Lord, we still have to deal with the tendency to pride and arrogance. Lead us not into these things Lord, but away from them. Fill us with grace as we seek to humble ourselves before You. We want Your blessings, not the consequences of our own foolish choices. Make us those who receive and put into practice the wisdom You provide for us. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia