Category Archives: Humility

All Powerful / King of All, Arrogance, Humility, Strong in Our Weakness

God’s Grace and Power Are Sufficient

We all experience success and challenges in life. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Are we to rely on our own strength? Not at all. In fact, Paul calls us to boast in our weakness and to be content with weaknesses, insults, and distresses… with persecutions and difficulties… all for the sake of Jesus Christ. When we are weak, then we are strong.  Truly God’s ways are not our ways.

We may always come before our Father and ask for our weakness to be removed, as Paul did. However, sometimes the answer will be “no”. We are to remember that God works through our weakness in His strength. In fact, our weakness makes His strength all the more “real” when He works through us. We know it is not ourselves that have done something good, but Him working through us.

2 Corinthians 12:7-21

A Thorn in the Flesh

     7Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

      11I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. 13For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

      14Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit. 17Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?

      19All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; 21I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Are you content in your weakness? There is a difference between being content and complacent. You can try to overcome your weaknesses through prayer and study of the word and trying to change your life to be more in accord with the scriptures. However, the point is that ultimately we will all have weaknesses and often it is that which makes God’s work through us all the more powerful to others and to ourselves.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Visions

Boast Not in Our Own Strength But in Our Weakness

What a confusing concept… do not boast of your own strength, but rather boast of your weakness. This is clearly God’s way and not mans’ way. Paul has reason to boast in himself if he would find it profitable, but he does not. When we boast in our strength, we put the focus on us and our accomplishments rather than God. Better we should boast in our weakness, thus focusing the spotlight on the power and glory of our Father in heaven who may accomplish mighty things through us. His strength is demonstrated best in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:1-6

Paul’s Vision

     1Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

Be humble. Always point to the Spirit, Christ, and the Father rather than yourself. Boast in their power and glory. Praise them rather than yourself… no matter what our Creator has done through you or revealed to you.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Humility, Share the Good News, Spiritual Warfare, Strong in Our Weakness

Place Your Confidence in Christ, Not In Yourself

If anyone should boast or put confidence in themselves as a follower of Christ, it would be Paul. God used him in many powerful ways to share the good news. However, we can learn from Paul’s attitude that we do well to boast only in Christ, and not in ourselves.

He also provides a strong reminder that we fight spiritual battles, not just physical or carnal ones. This is good to remember still today!

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Describes Himself

     1Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

      7You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, 9for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” 11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

      12For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. 14For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; 15not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, 16so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. 17But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. 18For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

Are you living in such a way as to rely on and boast in what God is doing? Are you aware of spiritual warfare in your life and the lives of others around you? If we put our focus only in the carnal things, we will lose the spiritual battle.  Spend some time in prayer asking God to open your eyes to these areas in your life and give you wisdom and discernment for your life.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Humility, Money / Finances / Wealth, Proverbs (Wisdom & Folly), Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Wise

Commit Your Works to the LORD and Your Plans Will be Established (Prov 16)

When we surrender our own plans and surrender control to God, He will establish our path forward. This reminds me of the perspective of going on a drive to get to a destination. Are we going to let Yeshua drive the car and direct our path or are we going to insist we hold on to the wheel and determine where we go? In many cases, He will let us if we insist, but we are always better off when He is driving, or determining our path.

Take time to consider each verse and how it applies to your life. Don’t rush. There is a lot upon which to reflect.

Proverbs 16

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

      2All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the LORD weighs the motives.

      3Commit your works to the LORD
And your plans will be established.

      4The LORD has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil.

      5Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

      6By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.

      7When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

      8Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.

      9The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

      10A divine decision is in the lips of the king;
His mouth should not err in judgment.

      11A just balance and scales belong to the LORD;
All the weights of the bag are His concern.

      12It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
For a throne is established on righteousness.

      13Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.

      14The fury of a king is like messengers of death,
But a wise man will appease it.

      15In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.

      16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

      17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his life.

      18Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

      19It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

      20He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

      21The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

      22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.

      23The heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

      24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

      25There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

      26A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.

      27A worthless man digs up evil,
While his words are like scorching fire.

      28A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

      29A man of violence entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.

      30He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

      31A gray head is a crown of glory;
It is found in the way of righteousness.

      32He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

      33The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the LORD.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Fear / Reverence for God, Hope, Humility

God’s Favor Is on the Humble but Punishment Is for Those Who Transgress Against Him

Isaiah 66 is a chapter full of passion that brings the book of Isaiah to a close. It is a lot to take in. Here are a few themes to consider as you read through:

  • God is the creator of all the earth. He does not need man, but He will look toward one who is humble and fears Gods word.
  • For those who will follow the letter of God’s law with sacrifices and such, but are choosing to do what is evil in His sight, He will bring punishment. God hates hypocrisy.
  •  Jerusalem, representing God’s people, will experience joy and restoration at God’s hand.
  • God’s people will endure just as the new heaven and earth He creates. All mankind will bow down before God.
  • There is great suffering for those who transgress God.

Isaiah 66

Heaven Is God’s Throne

      1Thus says the LORD,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?

      2“For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Hypocrisy Rebuked

3“But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine’s blood;
He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol.
As they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,

      4So I will choose their punishments
And will bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
And they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

      5Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word:
“Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But they will be put to shame.

      6“A voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple,
The voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His enemies.

      7“Before she travailed, she brought forth;
Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.

      8“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

      9“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

10“Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her;
Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,

      11That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”

      12For thus says the LORD, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.

      13“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

      14Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad,
And your bones will flourish like the new grass;
And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants,
But He will be indignant toward His enemies.

      15For behold, the LORD will come in fire
And His chariots like the whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.

      16For the LORD will execute judgment by fire
And by His sword on all flesh,
And those slain by the LORD will be many.

      17“Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens,
Following one in the center,
Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice,
Will come to an end altogether,” declares the LORD.

      18“For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. 19“I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. 20“Then they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. 21“I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says the LORD.

      22“For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD,
“So your offspring and your name will endure.

      23“And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD.

      24“Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

As you reflect again on the key points, consider the impact on your life. Are you fully submitted to God? Are you living even in part with hypocrisy? Are you transgressing against God? Pray the Spirit gives you clarity and courage to make any needed changes in your life.

  • God is the creator of all the earth. He does not need man, but He will look toward one who is humble and fears Gods word.
  • For those who will follow the letter of God’s law with sacrifices and such, but are choosing to do what is evil in His sight, He will bring punishment. God hates hypocrisy.
  •  Jerusalem, representing God’s people, will experience joy and restoration at God’s hand.
  • God’s people will endure just as the new heaven and earth He creates. All mankind will bow down before God.
  • There is great suffering for those who transgress God.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Compassionate, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

He Is Ready to Show Grace, if You Are Ready to Repent

Grace is giving someone what they do not deserve. God tells us repeatedly in the Bible that He wants to show us grace, but will wait on us to turn toward Him in genuine repentance.

Isaiah 30 is an impactful scripture about God’s grace following the sin of His people.  I encourage you to click the link and read all of it for full context. The first seven verses reveal how the people of Judah turned away from God and made a treaty with Egypt for protection instead of trusting God. Verses 8-11 reveal how the people have rejected God’s messengers who bring His instruction.  Verses 12-17 tell how futile and worthless is the path the people chose instead of following God’s instructions. It will not serve them well.  And in the center of this outright rebellion toward God, God still offers grace when the people repent starting in verse 18. But they must turn to Him.

Isaiah 30:18-26

18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.

19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. 20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. 22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!”

23 Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24 The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25 In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26 The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the Lord begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.

Anyone who expects God to be gracious while still openly rejecting and rebelling against Him will be disappointed. God is willing to extend grace, but we must turn toward Him with genuine repentance.  God is waiting for us to come to Him and His grace is truly wonderful.

Take time in prayer right now and accept and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. Come humbly toward Him with repentance and receive His love and compassion.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Thankfulness

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is an important activity for us as followers of Christ. We should take the opportunity to approach it with respect and self-control. Our attitude should be focused on Christ and that He died for us, shedding His blood and breaking His body. So, too, we can celebrate that He rose from the dead and lives still today.

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

The Lord’s Supper

     23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

      27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

      33So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

Let not the Lord’s Supper be just another meal we try to fill up on or just a ritual we do while thinking of what we will do “after church”. Prepare yourself and focus on the grace of  YHWH who sent His son to die in order to pay the penalty for our sin… yours and mine. Think of the love and compassion of Christ to willingly do so in obedience to the Father. Those of us who truly love Him should have humble hearts thanking Him for giving us a path to forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father though we don’t deserve it (grace),  and for not giving us the punishment we do deserve (mercy).

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Humility, Kindness / Gentleness, Pride, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Humility and Caring for Others Are Good Qualities

Reading Isaiah 39 today, it struck me that there were two things missing from Hezekiah’s actions in this chapter. For context, he has just been healed of a fatal disease and given 15 more years to his life. On top of that, God defeated an invading army and protected His people under the care of Hezekiah.

Visitors from Babylon come bearing a gift recognizing his recovery. Hezekiah apparently lets his guard down completely and shows them all that is in his possession. He shows them all the wealth of his treasury. One must ask, “Why would he be so careless?” I conclude that it is likely a bit of pride. He was showing off. He did not stop to think of the risk of bragging about all the wealth he has to someone else who may want that same wealth. Humility and discretion would have been very good here. We can still learn a lesson from this today. Have discretion. There is no need to show off all you have to anyone. Just be humble about what you have to others.

The second issue seems to be a disregard for the impact of his actions on his sons in the future and on his people as a nation. Hezekiah has seen the life-altering power of prayer when God changed the course of his personal illness which was going to kill him and gave him 15 more years. Now when God tells Him that there is great hardship coming to the next generation because of his actions, Hezekiah accepts it plainly because it will not affect him personally. He seemed unconcerned to repent and pray for God to change the outcome for others who are to be affected by his mistake. I would like to have seen him pray as hard for his nation and his descendants as he did for his own life only a chapter earlier.

Isaiah 39

Hezekiah Shows His Treasures

      1At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 3Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4He said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.”

      5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts, 6‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the LORD. 7‘And some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 8Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”

As you reflect on today’s scripture, ask God right now to show you any areas of your life in which you are lacking humility or not showing kindness and caring for others because you are too focused on your own well-being.  Ask Him to show you what you should do about it. Start today.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Merciful, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Yom Kippur – Deeper Reflection Through Scriptures

I have been sharing my observance of Yom Kippur with a close friend and she highlighted an important aspect of Yom Kippur that may get overlooked by some. It is a day of repentance and atonement. It is a day of fasting. We are also instructed to humble ourselves before the LORD. This is more than just observing some traditional rules like not wearing shoes with leather soles or putting on perfume. It is truly about our heart and our attitude before our Creator.

She shared some scripture the LORD had led her to as she has been observing with her family and I wanted to share it more broadly.

Each year as I observe this solemn holy day, I allow myself to continue to grow and change the approach for my family. There is so much good Biblical content to help lead us in prayer and humility and reconciliation with YHWH that I am embracing more each year the 10 days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur to pray and reflect on this subject with my family. These days are commonly referred to as the Days of Awe. I encourage you to study at least some of the scriptures below as you seek to humble yourself before the LORD.

Do keep in mind as you humble yourself before God, that if you are in Yeshua, you have been forgiven. We still want to be humble and repent, but we can also be thankful that God has already made a way for us to be forgiven.

Daniel 9:4-19 (Daniel)

4I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6“Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.

      7“Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. 8“Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9“To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11“Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12“Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. 14“Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

      15“And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16“O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17“So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18“O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19“O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

1 Chronicles 16:8-38 (David)

Psalm of Thanksgiving

8Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.

      9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.

10Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

11Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.

12Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,

13O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

14He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.

15Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,

16The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.

17He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

18Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”

19When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,

20And they wandered about from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,

21He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,

22“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

23Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

24Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

25For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.

26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.

27Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.

28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the LORD in holy array.

30Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

32Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

33Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD;
For He is coming to judge the earth.

34O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

35Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”

36Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (Hannah)

Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

      1Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

      2“There is no one holy like the LORD,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.

3“Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the LORD is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed.

4“The bows of the mighty are shattered,
But the feeble gird on strength.

5“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.

6“The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7“The LORD makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.

8“He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S,
And He set the world on them.

9“He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a man prevail.

10“Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

Luke 1:46-55 (Mary)

The Magnificat

46And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,

      47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.

50“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

53“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,

55As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Additional scriptures you may find enriching:

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and You alone are God. There are none like You. None can do the works that You do. Yet You love Your people and have made a way for us to be reconciled to You despite our sins. Thank You for Your grace and mercy shown through the death of Christ for our sins! May You be magnified and glorified in my life. Thank You for your continued mercy on me as a sinner submitted to Yeshua. Thank You for Your Spirit and Your word to guide me as a light unto my path. Help me to walk in repentance and seek diligently after Your ways. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Pride

Pray Humbly and Genuinely with a Repentant Heart

For those of us who wish to indeed submit to Yeshua and follow Him, we must be willing to humbly admit our faults to change them. Yeshua provides a wonderful example of a sinful man who genuinely comes before God for repentance and contrasts that with someone who is just making a show of prayer in a noticeably prideful manner. I encourage each of us to thoughtfully and humbly read the scripture from Luke and then come before God in genuine humility, admitting our sins, and asking for forgiveness with a commitment to repent and sin no more. For those of us who have already accepted Yeshua as our savior, our sins have been forgiven. We come to admit our sins and accept the forgiveness already provided through Yeshua with a commitment to repent and sin no more.

Luke 18:9-14       9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We all remain sinful, no matter where we are on our journey. Take time to identify an area in which you need change and come before God with a pure motive and pure heart, privately, and ask forgiveness and ask His help with repentance. Then work consciously to change your wrong behavior and He will help you.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for forgiveness through Yeshua. Thank You for the grace and mercy You have already given us. I am genuinely sorry for my sin and my transgressions against You. Help me be transformed through the renewing of my mind to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as you intend. Help me to walk in Your ways. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.