Category Archives: Humility

Am I on the path?, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Submitted / Servant

Seek His Will in All We Do

God calls us in Proverbs 3:5-7 to acknowledge Him in all we do and to trust Him, but there is much more than that to be studied here.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

 

Often Christians memorize the first part of this scripture… “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding.”  But this is only part of what He calls us to do. We must also seek His will in all we do, not just on Sundays, or when it involves things we don’t mind changing, but even when it is tough to change and may create some tension in our lives.  All means all.

In the next verse He reminds us not to be too impressed with how smart we think we are… but to fear the Lord and turn away from evil. So, let’s challenge ourselves not to rationalize our current behavior as ok if it really does not meet God’s holy standard. Being less bad than the world is a low bar.

At Hearing From Jesus, we passionately believe that the everyday choices we make matter to God! This includes what we watch, what we read, what games we play, what apps we use, how we eat, etc. It is a call for purity and holiness. It should be a focus for all we do.

We want to help! Please look around our site. We provide helpful, practical links to help in everyday life with things like marriage, kids, movies, books, etc. Have additional ideas you think we should cover? Please email us with details from the Contact Us page.

Take some time to pray for God’s guidance and to listen for any direction He may have for you.

May the grace and peace of our Lord be with you!

Shalom

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.

Am I on the path?, Church / Body of Christ, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Hypocrisy, Justice / Judgment, Love, Peace / Rest, Wise

Do Not Be Conformed to This World

How shall we treat one another as brothers and sisters in the faith? How shall we treat those who consider us their enemies? Let us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we may prove that the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. We are to be different from the world even though we live within it.

Romans 12

Dedicated Service

      1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

      3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

      9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

      14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What a fantastic summary of how we are to be in this world if we are to be disciples of Christ! When we live like this we are certainly not conformed to the world. Through the Holy Spirit we can continue striving to live according to these instructions.

This scripture is worth reading over a few times and prayerfully reflecting on each element as it applies in our lives. Are there areas we can be encouraged that we feel we are living up to these instructions? What are they for you? Are there areas that you find the Holy Spirit reminding you that you need to do better? What are they? Pray that God would help you on your journey to be more like Christ. This is a great summary of some key attitude and behavior elements to focus on.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me. Grant me deeper understanding of Your word. Help me to live according to Your instructions laid out by Paul in Romans 12. Help all of Your people to do so. Let us be a light to draw others to You.

In Yeshua’s name I pray. 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.

Discerning / Judging, Humility, Study the Word, Wise

Do Not Redefine God, Rather Redefine Your Understanding of Him

Today’s message is brief, but important. Take a few minutes to reflect on it prayerfully. Some will simply say, “this is obvious”, and that is great. Others may really need the reminder as they experience difficult situations in which they may feel a bit lost.

When we find scripture that is confusing or seems contradictory based on our current understanding, we have a few choices.

  1. Ignore the confusion and keep going about focusing on what we do understand.
  2. Redefine God and His word to fit into our current understanding.
  3. Let His word challenge and redefine our understanding so we can grow further, even if it makes us uncomfortable.

Option 1 may actually be ok sometimes, if the point at question is fairly minor. However, we should acknowledge that we may be missing an opportunity the Spirit is trying to use to help us grow in our understanding of God.

Option 2 is never the right choice, and few ever choose it intentionally. They do not say, “let me redefine God”. Rather, they allow themselves to interpret scripture very liberally and stretch beyond what it actually says. Often, they can lean into false teaching that is so prevalent in churches today to back up what they believe. We should be very careful to test our understanding against other scripture, not just against what our pastor says. Many pastors are teaching flat out bad doctrine, typically mixed with a lot of truth as well, which makes it seem believable.  Many do not realize they are teaching bad doctrine. They are simply lost in the cultural understanding or God rather than the Biblical one.

An example of this may be when God tells the Israelites to take the promised land and take no prisoners. Many may struggle with understanding the context and instead of searching out true understanding, push away from God and the Bible as if their own understanding is the source of truth.

Consider this article on BibleProject.com, Joshua: Judgment or Cruelty? Conquering the Promised Land | BibleProject™

Of course, option 3 is best. Allow yourself to admit you don’t fully understand something. Then, if it is troubling you, put in time and effort to study and pray to seek an answer. However, start with the following premise: God is perfect and just. The Bible is the most accurate source of instruction from God to His people on how to live. My understanding and that of culture and churches around me is often flawed. If I am not redefining my understanding of God based on His revelation and His word, I am not learning.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to remain humble in our understanding of You so that we would be ready to learn as You reveal new things to us rather than clinging to what we think we already know and redefining You and Your word to fit our current view. Lead us to redefine our understanding of You based on Your word and not to redefine You and what Your word means based on our current views. 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.

Encouragement, Faith / Trusting God, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Interceding for Others, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Kindness / Gentleness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Salvation, Thankfulness

For I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Paul is a great example. Consider how he engages fellow believers and how he intercedes on their behalf in prayer. He is enthusiastic, encouraging, thankful, and he prays for them often. He seeks fellowship with them. He is not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for those who believe.

Romans 1:8-17

      8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

      16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

I ask God that I would be able to be more like Paul in his attitude toward other believers. I pray that believers everywhere would be as well. Imagine if we all were more enthusiastic, encouraging, and thankful and that we prayed often for each other and seek fellowship with one another. This attitude remained while Paul experienced much hardship.

Let us also not overlook verse 16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” It is the death and resurrection of Yeshua, our Messiah, that makes a way for us to be saved, to be reconciled with God. It is not through good works or our own righteousness. Let us remember that with humility and thankfulness.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me and other believers to maintain the attitude of Paul in Romans 1. Help us enthusiastically pray for one another, give thanks for one another, seek fellowship with one another, and maintain humility in remembering that it is You who made a way for our salvation through Yeshua. Thank You! Amen.

I would encourage you also to take a few additional minutes to start praying for others today and to give thanks to God for other believers in Your life or even those you don’t know personally. This is a good practice to do regularly.

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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Humility, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Love, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Persecution / Glorifying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Thankfulness

O My God, In You I Trust

Psalm 25 is an inspiring prayer for protection, guidance, and pardon. Don’t just read it, but pray it before almighty God with a genuine heart.

1To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

2O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.

3Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.

5Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.

6Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.

7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.

8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

9He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.

10All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11For Your name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12Who is the man who fears the LORD?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

13His soul will abide in prosperity,
And his descendants will inherit the land.

14The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,
And He will make them know His covenant.

15My eyes are continually toward the LORD,
For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

16Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.

17The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.

18Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.

19Look upon my enemies, for they are many,
And they hate me with violent hatred.

20Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

22Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.

Share this prayer with others you care about!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Humility, Protector / Deliverer

Looking Deeper into Esther’s Story – Grace and Composure

If you really stop and consider what Esther experienced in the process by which she became queen, it is quite fascinating. At a high level, it may sound like a very positive experience. She wins a beauty contest and becomes queen and then is in position to save her people and God gets the glory. This is all true, but it is more complex than that, and understanding that can help us in considering how God may be at work in our lives.

As you read through the historical account in Esther 2, reflect on what it may have been like from her perspective. I don’t believe she had much choice in participating in the king’s round up. However, she maintained composure and wisely sought and heeded advice from others, such as Mordecai and Hegai. She gained favor among people, and not just the king. She likely had a very pleasing personality to go along with her beauty. This attitude she seems to have maintained throughout a very challenging series of events that must have seemed intimidating at times.

Esther 2:1-19

Vashti’s Successor Sought

      1After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3“Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them. 4“Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

      5Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

      8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

      12Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— 13the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

      15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther Becomes Queen

      17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

      19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.

God brought Esther through a series of events for which none of us would likely volunteer ourselves or our daughters. She had no choice in what she experienced other than how she would handle it personally. She managed it very effectively maintaining her composure, humility, and I would have to assume a cheerful disposition. (I assume a cheerful disposition because it is very hard to find favor with people when you are a grump or pouting.)

God may similarly bring us through circumstances we don’t want, but we will have the choice on how we act in those circumstances. We may not even know how He plans to use the circumstances we experience while we are going through them. He does not always tell us in advance and show us the map of His plans. We do well to learn to trust Him and conduct ourselves with grace and composure in all circumstances.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help us a Your people to trust in You in all circumstances. Help us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of representing You. Encourage us in tough times. Thanks and praise to You that You can use even strange or difficult circumstances in our lives to bring about Your purposes. 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.

Help / Serve Others, Humility, Share the Good News, Teachable, Wise

Work Together to Build Up the Body of Yeshua

God certainly wants to see His followers help one another in proclaiming the gospel. There are two aspects to helping one another…. looking to help those we can help and being humble enough to accept counsel and help from others.

Those who are wise accept rebuke and wise counsel and grow wiser.

Proverbs 9:9  9Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

Apollos was an eloquent man and well versed in the scriptures. He had fervent spirit and was out there proclaiming and teaching about Yeshua. He was none the less incomplete in his understanding of the gospel. Priscilla and Aquilla reached out to him to teach him and encourage him, refining his teaching while still building upon his enthusiasm and talents. They did not dismiss him or reject him because he did not have it all quite right. They went out of their way to help him grow.

Equally important is the fact that Apollos was humble enough to listen and admit he did not understand everything perfectly. He took the wise counsel and became even more effective servant for Christ. What a wonderful series of events to watch those who learned from Paul reach out to help others in effectively and accurately sharing the truth of Yeshua!

Acts 18:23-28

Third Missionary Journey

      23And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

      24Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

When we work together as a body of Christ to help one another in understanding and in the logistics of evangelism we are stronger than when we divide ourselves and attack one another… or even just choose not to help.

Has God put someone in your path that is reaching out to help you better understand the scriptures? Are you humble enough to listen and prayerfully consider if it is a helpful course correction you should follow?

Is God calling you to graciously help reach out to someone who may have great talents and enthusiasm, but may benefit from your counsel on the scriptures? Are you obeying and reaching out to that person?

Let us each consider how to help others and be humble enough to accept help from others. The body of Christ is truly strengthened when all parts are working together toward the same goal… that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please guide and encourage Your people to help one another. Let us be patient with those who are not complete in their understanding. Encourage us to invest time and effort to help them. Also create in Your people a spirit of humility that is willing to learn what others have to teach. 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.

Humility, Pride, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Share the Good News

It’s Not About Us, It’s About God

There are times when we will experience God’s blessing upon our lives or see Him work through us as His faithful servants in powerful ways. We must be prepared for these times so that they do not cause us to stumble.  It is at these times when we experience God’s power that we may be most vulnerable to the sin of pride. We must not forget that it is God’s power and blessing and not our own accomplishment in order to remain humble and faithfully serve God.

Acts 14:8-18

    8At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. 11When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” 12And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. 16“In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

Paul and Barnabas were grieved that the crowds were missing the point… they were honoring Paul and Barnabas instead of God. They immediately took direct action to put the focus off them and back on God! What a temptation that could be to men… to be lifted up and honored, but they would have to take credit for what God was doing. Paul and Barnabas demonstrated humility and kept the focus on God, even when it was hard to do so. They knew it was not about them, it was about God.

Have you experienced things that went really well because of God’s blessing and had people try to shower praise on you for “your” accomplishments? It can be easy to just accept the credit, but it is better to give glory to God instead of letting it land on ourselves. It’s not about us and what we do, it’s about God and what He does and Has already done. How can you react differently and give God the glory the next time a similar situation comes up?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me. Help me to stand strong and speak boldly for You. Please work through me to bring glory and honor to You. Let me remain humble as You work through me that I would not stumble into pride, but rather keep the focus on You and Your glory. I pray this also for all Your people and especially the leaders you raise up to stand for righteousness. 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility

Why Did God Allow This Hardship to Happen?

There is much suffering in this world and many situations that we as believers may struggle to understand. We may find ourselves asking, “Why did God allow this to happen?”. There will always be things we do not fully understand, but it is truly important to draw near to God during these times… draw closer to Him… do not let suffering or lack of understanding on your part separate you from God.

Proverbs 3:5-7  5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

From a practical perspective, when we are looking to God to help us out of difficulty or to help us prosper while experiencing it, if we allow ourselves to drift away from Him, we will be less able to hear His instructions and guidance. During these times we want to draw near and listen closely to what God has to tell us. I want to serve God and honor Him even in suffering and trials. I want to learn what He is trying to teach me and let Him use me.

Consider the death of Stephen and persecution of the early followers of Christ by those who claimed to be righteous… Jewish religious leaders. There was much persecution and suffering amongst the early church. The followers of Yeshua fled Jerusalem and spread the message of the gospel to other locations. Imagine if they would have just gotten mad at Yahweh and stopped following Yeshua to avoid a difficult situation… they would have been lost and Yah’s plan to spread the good news of Messiah across the world would not have progressed the way He desired.

The early followers of Yeshua obeyed Yahweh and proclaimed the good news to others despite persecution. They began by preaching to only Jewish people. During this time of suffering, though, they still trusted the LORD and when they heard His guidance to proclaim the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, they did. God brought a tremendous harvest of new believers from the Gentiles.  The early church believed and trusted Yahweh even during persecution and hardship. As a result, He was able to use them in a mighty way to the glory of His kingdom.

None of the early disciples of Yeshua were thinking… “If only we could be persecuted and scattered, that would be great.” or “We should preach to the Gentiles.” But they were faithful and served the LORD regardless of difficulty and circumstance. Praise and glory to Yahweh, the faithful servants flourished in the situation in which He planted them and then were able to hear His instructions to adjust their course and bring the gospel to a great number of believers. Now, 2000 years later, see how many followers of Yeshua were not among the Jewish people! How much of the harvest would have been missed if Yeshua’s disciples did not listen?

We can also see that in suffering, which came as a famine in this case, believers pulled together to help one another. This principle is important for us to remember. I am sure these early Gentile disciples did not fully and properly understand the instructions of Yah such as the Law. That is why Paul was there teaching for so long. Despite some variation in understanding and practice of how they pursued the LORD, they pulled together in unity. Of course, I am sure it helped to have a clear leader in Paul to teach them all they needed to know. We tend to lack that today, though many teachers are out there with differing understanding of how to live for the LORD.

Acts 11:19-30

The Church at Antioch

      19So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. 25And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

      27Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. 29And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

Keep your eyes, ears and heart open for Yah’s direction for you in the midst of the difficulties you may be experiencing. How might He be using this situation or guiding you to further His kingdom? Do not despair, He is with you and can cause all things to work together for the good of those who believe in Him.

Romans 8:28  28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

How can you obey Yah and allow Him to use you in the midst of hard situations you are experiencing today? How can you help other disciples of Yeshua who are experiencing difficulty?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up teachers like Paul to instruct and lead Your people in a return to Your instructions for how we are to live and worship. Help the disciples of Yeshua pull together to move toward restoration of living as Yeshua demonstrated, according to Your ways rather than the ways of man. Please help us have unity in moving toward proper understanding and living out of Your teaching in the scriptures. 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, Devotions by John, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Obeying God, Pride, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish

Humility Allows Us to Make Course Corrections

It is very human to have an over inflated sense of confidence in ourselves and what we believe to be true. It is more difficult to genuinely listen to others and try to understand their point of view and possibly even change our minds once we are presented with all the evidence or information for a particular situation.

I have heard an entertaining story (probably fictional) that can help us to remember the need for humility in assessing every situation. We may think of ourselves as if we are a large ship at sea, perhaps a battleship. We proceed with much confidence through even the fog when we cannot see everything clearly.

A certain captain of a battleship was navigating an intense fog. Following the standard practice of those at sea, they may communicate with others by lights and by radio. In one such situation, he saw a light ahead and used the radio to tell the other vessel to change course to avoid a collision. He was surprised when the other vessel insisted that he, the captain of the battleship, change course. Brimming with confidence, he shot back that he was on a large battleship and indeed the other vessel should turn away rather than him doing so.  He was equally surprised by the response… “This is a lighthouse. Repeat, I urge you to change course to avoid collision.” Suddenly in light of the full set of facts the captain understood the situation more clearly and with a bit of humility ordered his ship to correct their course and turn in a different direction.

Confidence is fine, but remember to maintain a certain amount of humility to ensure you understand the full set of facts about a situation. You may need to do more listening than talking… which can be challenging for many. You may need to consider if you need to make a change, even regarding things you had a lot of confidence in as appropriate and correct before the LORD.

Acts 11 provides an excellent example of a group of believers who maintained enough humility to listen to Peter and understand what God revealed to him… and then corrected their course on that subject to better align with what God had revealed.

Acts 11:1-18

Peter Reports at Jerusalem

     1Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, 6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. 7“I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8“But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9“But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ 10“This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. 11“And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12“The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13“And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16“And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

We can easily contrast this with how the Pharisees and Sadducees reacted to Yeshua. They were so confident in their position, they never really considered that Yeshua was actually the Messiah they were waiting for… much to their own peril.  The group of believers in Acts 11 instead listened and evaluated what Peter had to offer. Once they had all the facts, they adjusted their position to reflect what Yahweh had revealed to Peter.

Consider for a moment how you can apply this truth in your life this week. Do you find yourself in situations where you behave like the captain of the battleship… over-confident in your position and belief and not really listening to others? What changes might help you listen more and understand all the facts involved in a particular situation? This is a great challenge to share with a close trusted friend or family member who can serve as an accountability partner in discussing your progress in this area.

As a side note, I will also highlight an example where many understand Peter’s vision to mean Yah has declared all things good to eat and removed or cancelled the dietary instructions. They have generations of tradition and many church leaders holding that position. However, if we look at how Peter understood the meaning of the dream and explained it to others, there is no mention of changing the dietary instructions. It was all a metaphor Yah used to tell Peter it was ok for him as a Jew to go and eat with the Gentiles and teach them about Yeshua.  For many, they will struggle to really challenge the understanding they have been given from common Christian teaching. However, we should clearly not read into the dream something that Peter himself did not take from it as the primary audience who has all the cultural context we may not.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please give me a spirit of humility and help me to have a teachable spirit. Let me listen to other perspectives about Your ways and Your word and then weigh them before Your word and Your spirit to seek truth. Let not pride cause me to stumble and remain in my ways if they are not Your ways. Let your word be my lighthouse, that guides me, rather than the traditions and teachings of men. 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.