James 4:6-10 Amplified Bible
6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” 7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. 9 Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose].
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Truth is; human nature hasn’t changed much in the 2,000 years since these words were written by James. As James points out, quarrels and fights come from people’s win now competitive desires for things they don’t have.
We want a better job, or a more affectionate spouse, or a faster car, bigger truck, a place on the starting team, or a bigger house—or any number of other things.
We don’t always get what we want, we get upset. We strive and argue and fight to get what we want. The assumption we make is “I need it” or “I deserve it.”
There are things we really do need or deserve.
But, according to James, most of our desires stem from our love for the world and its expansive material things.
Each of us needs to evaluate our desires.
Where do they come from?
Why do we have them?
Because advertisements convince us we deserve something newer or better?
Is it because neighbors or relatives have nicer things than we do, and we are just envious as the sun is hot, just as good, better and more hard-working as they?
This kind of subtle resentment leads to bitterness and frustration.
As James says, “Resist the devil,” and instead “come near to God … Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Are you unhappy or quarrelsome today?
A hundred different shades of Green with envy and jealousy?
See how many of your desires are justifiable or really important.
Then draw near to God, the source of all blessing.
He will, in his time, lift you up.
Glad Submission to God
James 4:6-8 Complete Jewish Bible
6 But the grace he gives is greater, which is why it says,
“God opposes the arrogant,
but to the humble he gives grace.”[a]
7 Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded people!
It seems hard to imagine now, but there was a time in the not-so-distant past when people hardly ever wore seat belts, and children weren’t required to have the sort of car seats they must have now.
Without belts and latches to restrain them, it could prove rather difficult to get children to sit and stay sitting.
The story is told of a young boy who found himself in the car with his mother.
He was in the back seat, and, as young boys tend to do, he found himself getting restless, so he was up and down and moving around.
His mother, of course, told him he needed to sit.
Finally, after repeated requests and repeated refusals, his mother felt the need to stop the car and exercise appropriate discipline.
She then got him back in his seat and set off down the road again.
A few seconds later, the boy mumbled defiantly from the back seat, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside.”
That little story is likely to prompt us to smile—but it also sounds something of a warning for us.
This boy, while outwardly obeying, was inwardly rebelling.
How often might that characterize our own behavior toward God?
Perhaps we outwardly do and say the right things, especially when we are in public and most of all in church, but inwardly we are thinking and feeling just the opposite.
As innocent, normal as the scenario may seem, it was pride rearing up in that small boy’s heart that provoked that defiant comment— is pride that is rearing up in our hearts when we subtly sit down outwardly but stand up internally.
And God sees all.
Philippians 2:5-18 Complete Jewish Bible
5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge[a]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.
12 So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling,[b] 13 for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him.
14 Do everything without kvetching or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation,[c] among whom you shine like stars in the sky, 16 as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. 17 Indeed, even if my lifeblood is poured out as a drink offering over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I will still be glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise, you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Real submission to God is the outworking of a truly humble heart.
To submit to God is to align our whole selves under His authority.
By nature, we oppose authority and do not like to be told what to do.
But obedience to God ought never to be grudging.
Nehemiah 8:1-11Common English Bible
Ezra reads the Instruction aloud
8 When the seventh month[a] came and the people of Israel were settled in their towns, all the people gathered together in the area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Instruction[b] scroll from Moses, according to which the Lord had instructed Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Instruction before the assembly. This assembly was made up of both men and women and anyone who could understand what they heard. 3 Facing the area in front of the Water Gate, he read it aloud, from early morning until the middle of the day. He read it in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand, and everyone listened attentively to the Instruction scroll.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for this purpose. And standing beside him were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his righthand side; while Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood on his lefthand side.
5 Standing above all of the people, Ezra the scribe opened the scroll in the sight of all of the people. And as he opened it, all of the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all of the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” while raising their hands. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
5 Standing above all of the people, Ezra the scribe opened the scroll in the sight of all of the people. And as he opened it, all of the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all of the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” while raising their hands. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah[c]—helped the people to understand the Instruction while the people remained in their places. 8 They read aloud from the scroll, the Instruction from God, explaining and interpreting it so the people could understand what they heard.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or weep.” They said this[d] because all the people wept when they heard the words of the Instruction.
10 “Go, eat rich food, and drink something sweet,” he said to them, “and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
11 The Levites also calmed all of the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy. Don’t be sad!”
We should submit with a joyful, happy abandonment to God’s will as it is revealed to us in His word.
It is our delight to discover His truth and act accordingly.
Such joyful submission is possible because of the nature of the one to whom we submit.
When we submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, we give ourselves to true freedom (Galatians 5:1).
We yield to a light burden and an easy yoke (Matthew 11:30).
So, take a close look at your own life and heart today.
Are there ways in which you are sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside—obeying God but grumbling about it and begrudging having to do it?
There is always more grace for such pride, but it truly does need to be humbly addressed, repented of. What is it that you need to remember about God in order to do that, and then to submit willingly, joyfully, and wholly to His will for you?
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 