Sunday, December 11, 2011

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Prayer for Today:


Father, I worship you and give YOUR Name the praise. For you alone are worthy of all the praise. 


I invite you to step in this place and take control. I submit to Your will, Your Word and Way. Direct my steps and guide me on my way. What is it that I can do for You, Body of Christ and Kingdom today. What is that you want me say, do or give to help someone along their way. I am listening, and believing that Your plan for my life will be made manifest today in each thought, word act and deed. Thank you for your grace, mercy and guidance. Amen


Thought for Today


You cannot and should not consider making plans without consulting God. James 4 provides us with a clear and uncut principle in why following our own plans and designs don't really work out in the long run. We battle within, and covet what others have because we are fixated on our passions, plans and desires which seek to advance and succeed by this world and people standards. We are conflicted because we are trying to fit in and find our place in this world. But truth be told we have not because we ask not and when we do ask; we miss the mark because with ask with selfish motives. 

Most would say Oprah Winfrey has achieved by worlds standards "success." Ms. Winfrey has done wonderful works and she may be consider expert on overcoming and succeeding by some.
She talks about finding your authentic self and doing things that one is passionate about or possesses talents. That's great, good but the truth of the matter; unless you have submitted your life and will to God you  will never tap into the true authentic ("self") purpose that God created you to walk out in this realm. We live in a world where many have pursue and obtain a measure of success. It is common knowledge and widely accepted there is the one percent and the rest us plain old ordinary struggling folks. Wealth that comes be the world's standard is concentrate while mysteries of Kingdom of Heaven and all its' abundance remain tightly locked away. 

Unlocking the power of your "authentic self" comes into play when you have locked into God and you allow Him to direct your path. Some stumble into, some stumble along and some upon their journey finding things that seemingly help them get by, survive, or get by in life. That is not the mark of abundant life. Christ came that we might have life but have it more abundantly. This is not something that is left up to chance but rather a definitive choice.  What then is the solution? Submitting to God, get in habit of watching the words you speak, the actions you take, habits and relationships you form because all these are tied into your divine destiny. Here more specifically is a quote that simplifies submitting to God and His will for our lives.  “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. What your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” (Author Unknown)


We cannot look to governments, business, self or even each other without having first look to God the creator of all things in the Heaven and Earth. Living in a time that seems uncertain we are unfortunately look for solutions and answers in all the wrong places. It is time now to look to Lord, and humbly submit to His plan for your life. If you come (whosoever will) near to Him, He will come near to you and if you acknowledge Him; He will direct your path. 

Today's Scripture Reading James 4 NIV 

Submit Yourselves to God
 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
   “God opposes the proud 
   but shows favor to the humble.”

 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

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