Tag: forgiveness of sins

Humility vs. Pride

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I’m sure we have all come across people who lack signs of humility and if we’re honest, we could say that we’ve at some point exhibited the same behavior.  

God’s word tells us to be humble, so it must be a quality we should learn and exercise throughout our lives.

God Desires Humility

He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

To walk humbly with God means to acknowledge that He is God and to submit to His wisdom because He knows what’s best for us.

God blesses us when we obey Him and strive to follow Him, especially when He points out to us an attitude or behavior we need to master.   

We need God to guide us through this life on earth because there is so much deceit and corruption lurking to take us down the wrong path.

The antithesis of humility is pride. It seeks its own glory and it demands everything for itself and its preservation but never ends well.

God is the Creator and we are the creation, and He made us to follow Him and serve Him.

Let’s seek His wisdom and exercise humility before Him and others until it becomes second nature.  

Consequences of Pride

Simply put, if we will not walk in humility before God, we stand to lose more than we gain.

Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Consider the outcome of pride for Lucifer (Satan) the “angel of light,” the most beautiful of angels that God created.

“How you are fallen from heaven,
    O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
    you who destroyed the nations of the world.
For you said to yourself,
    ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
    far away in the north.
I will climb to the highest heavens
    and be like the Most High.’
Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead,
    down to its lowest depths.

Isaiah 14:12-15

What a great fall the most beautiful of angels has had to endure!

These verses use imagery to depict not only Satan, but also the proud boasts of Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, during his reign (605-562 BC). I encourage you to read the full chapter of Isaiah 14.

As we know, Satan is still at odds with God and is intent on seeing whomever and whatever God loves destroyed like he was and will ultimately be as is written in Revelation 20:1-10.

This is exactly why we need to be aligned with God in thought and behavior. God is willing to forgive our sins when we turn from them and seek after Him, for He has given us the gift of forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ.

When we turn from God and battle with Him, we never win.

Hopefully when we feel the sting of the consequences of our sin of pride, we turn from it, seeking God’s way to live, and strive to be humble.  

God knows if our hearts are truly committed to Him and therefore works in us to overcome this sin and every other sin we commit.

We only need to ask Him for His help and follow through in obedience to His will.

The Blessing of Humility

God promises us blessings when we are humble before Him and others.

The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.

Proverbs 22:4

I would like to share with you a time in my life that I kept hearing God tell me to be humble, over and over.

I shared this with a group of women whom I considered my confidants, my women’s Bible study group.

At the time, I didn’t understand why He was calling me to be humble, because I thought I had learned from the stings of my past mistakes of pride.

I thought I was done with this sin problem in my life, and I certainly did not want to displease God and undergo any more consequences.

A few months later, I met with one of these confidants with whom I had the habit of discussing plans for our group study.

As I listened to this person speak to me, I was caught off guard because a part of it was not altogether pleasant for me. I was compared to a previous leader, and not in a good way.

Still, I listened and did not become defensive. Rather, I accepted the info she shared with me and began to think deeply about my behavior and why she said what she did.   

I mulled over that comment for a while because I was very hurt by it.  

I recalled varying aspects of her behavior that I had previously witnessed but did not feel it was my place to correct her. I believed God would show her the behavior she needed to correct.

I decided that none of us are perfect and I knew it was my place to love her despite her inconsistent walk with the LORD.

Within a couple of weeks, I saw God work in a way that caused her to leave after she had misgivings with our head pastor.

Later God started showing me that she had twisted something I shared with her in confidence and used it against me for whatever personal gain she was trying to achieve.  

I now understand that God was telling me back then to be humble, because He knew my capacity to speak up for myself—and at times strongly with my own words.

I am glad that God prepared me in advance for this situation and that I obeyed by listening and not reacting.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, 

1 Peter 5:6

God has shown me that I don’t need to defend my reputation.  

By laying it at the feet of Jesus, I found resolution even if it took some time.

When we follow God and let Him lead us through His Holy Spirit, we will not lose our witness for Christ and be ashamed.

Humility Acknowledges Dependence upon God

I would like to close with the following thought that led me to write this post.

With the recent success of the orbit around the moon by the courageous astronauts of Artemis II, I was able to watch the inspiring view from space of our beautiful planet.

We exist in a very small portion of the universe, and we seem so insignificant from high above.

However, we are very important to God as He made us in His image and gave us the ability to accomplish such astounding feats.  

So small, so dependent upon and loved by God. This is reason enough to be humble.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song below about following our Creator and His perfect ways.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

What a Savior!

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Perhaps it would have been better for me to post this message as we prepared to celebrate the resurrection of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, but I believe that we should keep daily at the forefront of our thoughts the price that He paid for the whole world—past, present, and future.

Our family custom during this most holy of celebrations is to watch various series depicting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; so much so, that I purchased a DVD of The Passion of the Christ a few years ago to watch on Good Fridays.

Some would say that this movie is difficult to watch with the graphic illustration of Jesus’s beatings and crucifixion, and I agree.

However, I need to remind myself through these images the great price that my Savior paid for me personally.

In this post, I would like to share a few verses from the Bible regarding those three days of indescribable pain, sorrow, and then joy.

Good Friday:  The Cross

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

1 John 4:10

Jesus willingly went to the cross for you, me, and everyone else.

He could have said, “No, Father, they are too prideful, selfish, arrogant, vile. Let them have what they deserve.” (my thoughts)

But He did not.

He said, “Yes, I will go to the cross in obedience to You and because I love them despite their sin. I will take upon myself their consequences so that they can be with us in Heaven for eternity.” (my thoughts)

Jesus, the only perfect being ever on this earth, took upon Himself all our sins and suffered horrendously in our place.

He suffered indignation: He was lied about, spit upon, and stripped of his clothing; yet He did not defend His reputation and forgave. (Isaiah 53:7, Luke 23:34)

He was humiliated: He was hung on a cross, mocked, and tempted to show his power; yet He accepted this mistreatment and completed His mission. (Mark 15:29-32, John 19:28-30)

He physically bled for us: He was scourged, beaten unrecognizable with His flesh ripped open, and nailed in both hands and feet to a cross; yet He willingly suffered and died for all mankind. (Isaiah 52:14, Romans 3:25-26, Ephesians 1:7)

Jesus endured all of this for all of us. He gave His life as a ransom for ours. He suffered so we would not have to. He paid for our sins because He knew we could not.

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:28-30

Good Friday symbolizes God’s love for the human race through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. God’s grace is given for all who will accept it by surrendering to Jesus Christ.   

Holy Saturday: God Works through Silence

Jesus was laid to rest in haste after his death on Good Friday since the Sabbath was starting at sunset that same evening and preparations needed to be made for Passover.  

He was placed in a rich man’s tomb and His body wrapped in cloths waiting to be perfumed with spices.

The chief priests and Pharisees wanted to be done with Jesus and ordered his tomb sealed because they feared His followers would somehow steal His body to claim He had risen. Guards were also placed outside Jesus’s tomb to insure they could not steal His body.

Meanwhile, the apostles, Jesus’s followers, gathered together after having fled and deserted Him.

Apart from their sorrow, I am sure they were fearful, confused, and angry with themselves for deserting Him.

I imagine that they were meditating on and discussing what He said while He was with them about being God’s Son, the Messiah—the only Way, and His promise of coming back for them.  

The shock of it all was most likely laying heavy upon their hearts and minds of what they should do next.

How could they move on since Jesus was gone?

He healed others, why wouldn’t He save Himself?

How could this have happened? He promised a kingdom where He would rule righteously.

Broken hearts, misunderstanding, desperation was their lot.  

We may have silent days in our lives, but we should remember God’s promises and still our minds while waiting for His next move.

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

Even though we may not see it, God is always working in the background, in our silent periods of waiting.

Jesus was on the move on the Sabbath after His death. He was not dead, but very much alive in the spirit and displayed His victory over death and evil.  

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

1 Peter 3:18-20a

Christ descended into the pit where the demons from Noah’s days were bound due to their wickedness against God. Jesus let them know that He was very much alive and had defeated them and death.

Jesus had the last say and put them on notice.

Let’s wait expectantly for God’s promises to us.

Resurrection Sunday: The Promise Fulfilled

Mary Magdalene and Mary (the mother of James) went early Sunday morning to Jesus’s tomb to prepare His body for burial with spices.

When they arrived, they saw that the tomb was open and an angel of the LORD began to speak with them. He informed them that Jesus was not in the tomb, but was alive.

The angel told them to go tell Jesus’s followers that Jesus is alive and to go to Galilee where He would meet them.

As they left filled with excitement, Jesus Himself appeared before them.

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:8-10

As He promised, Jesus appeared to the apostles in Galilee, but they did not believe it was Jesus at first. Then, after speaking and eating with Him, they were overjoyed while He reminded them of what He had told them would happen to Him. (Luke 24:36-49)

Jesus gave them instructions (The Great Commission) to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them and then to go into all the world to teach about His love and sacrifice for all mankind and obedience to the scriptures. (Matthew 28:16-20)

No matter the effort in trying to silence God’s truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ some 2000+ years later, the Great Commission is ever strong and will continue to be until the end of time.

I am certain of one thing—we will see all the promises that God has given to us through the Holy Scriptures in our lifetime and into eternity.

We only need to study His word, believe in Him, and abide in Him.

God has already done the difficult work for us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Thank You, LORD Jesus, for Your sacrifice!

May the song below bless you as you consider the gift of grace given to us by Jesus’s death and resurrection.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Starting the New Year with Promise

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Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

Most of us probably have and perhaps our resolutions look something like the following.

  • I’m going to join the gym and lose some weight.
  • I’m going to ease up on shopping and save some money.
  • I’m going to give up _____________________.

Sound familiar?

They are for me.

There is nothing at all wrong with these resolutions and in fact they are very good if we stick with them.

I’m wondering if anyone has instead (or maybe in addition to one of these) resolved to create a space in their busy schedule to spend time with God. What I mean is, have we carved out time to read and study God’s word on a daily basis?

If you are a seasoned Christian, maybe you do this already. I am writing to those who are new Christians or those who perhaps don’t yet have this habit worked into their daily schedule.

Studying God’s Word Helps Us to Know God and Brings Blessings

God tells us plainly that knowing Him gives us wisdom, and following His ways benefits us.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by Me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will suffer from it.

Proverbs 9:10-12

I always like to share as many verses as it takes to comprehend the full meaning and outcome in God’s word. We should know the full truth of God’s word, even if it is hard to read. This is not to scare anyone, but to provide exactly what God says.

God gives us His word so we can make wise choices, and He always spells out the results if we choose to not follow His wisdom.

We should take His word literally.

Studying and Applying God’s Word Gives Us Peace and Joy

I am also writing to those who are dissatisfied with life and long for more—more fulfillment, more peace, more hope.

You may be wondering how to achieve this.  

Joshua, God’s mighty warrior who led the nation of Israel into the promised land, was instructed by God to not ONLY read, but to MEDITATE on God’s word.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.

Joshua 1:8

This success that God promised to Joshua was to achieve His plan for Joshua’s life—to be successful in his campaign to take possession of the promised land.

In order for Joshua to do this, he had to read God’s promises, follow God’s laws, be courageous, and follow through with all that God told him.

Joshua also needed to meditate or think upon what he read in God’s word daily, or more specifically day and night, for it to become engrained into his life. In other words, he had to start his day with God’s Word and he had to end his day with God’s Word.

This process applies to us as well. It’s been said that it takes some time to form a habit. Years ago, I read that it takes at least a month to form a new habit. Today, I read that it’s more likely two months and even more depending upon the individual.

The point is that it takes time to study God’s word and apply it to our lives so that we can reach what God has for us which is His very best.

God’s best is not the same as what the world offers. Let’s look at what Jesus tells us about following Him.  

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

I can say by experience that no matter what the world offers—money, status, material goods—it is nothing compared to having the peace of mind and grace that only God can give.

God loves us and wants only the very best for each and every one of us. He has given us His promises and instructions on how to live a better life than what the world offers. He has given us His one and only Son to forgive our sins and to set us on the road to eternal joy in this life and the next.

Studying God’s Word Brings Us Hope

One of my favorite pastors, Dr. Charles Stanley, has helped me in my walk with God for 25+ years. Although he is with the LORD now, his teaching ministry still impacts millions around the globe. I came across one of his many messages in a calendar devotional I keep on my desk. A couple of days ago, I read his personal message about the following verse.

They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.

Jeremiah 32:38-40

Dr. Stanley said, “God doesn’t just speak to an elite few. We are all in the same category when it comes to His speaking and our listening. He treats all His children on an equal basis.”

I believe what Dr. Stanley is saying is that God’s promises are for all His children, those who have submitted their lives to His Son, Jesus Christ. There are verses in the Bible that are written specifically to certain people, mostly the Israelites. Yes, they are called His chosen people, but those surrendered to Christ are also His people.

I hope you’ll join me next for Spending Time with God.

I wish you a happy, healthy, and blessed 2025.

May you experience God move in your life in supernatural ways.

I have included a beautiful song below for your listening pleasure.

“Take You at Your Word” – Cody Carnes

What Does It Mean to Be a Child of God?

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A Child of God Has Eternal Salvation

First, to be a child of God, we must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind. In His word, Jesus says that He is the only way to God. When we know Jesus, we also know the Father.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

John 14:6-7

In perhaps the most well-known or memorized verse in Scripture, we are again told that we belong to God if we believe in Christ. 

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Let’s also look at what the verses following John 3:16 say about being surrendered to Jesus Christ.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:17-18

A Child of God Is Granted Forgiveness of Sins 

Once we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we are His! It does not matter what we have done in this life, our sins are forgiven when we repent. Yes, we start over with a blank slate. As far as the east is from the west, our sins are remembered by God no more.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11-13

I am sure that you have noticed the word “fear” in the above scripture verse. It may cause you concern, but no need to worry. Merriam-Webster has a fitting definition regarding fear of God: Profound reverence and awe especially toward God. If we belong to God, we need not be terrified of Him.

A Child of God Has a Relationship with the Father

God wants a relationship with us and He created us for this very reason. This relationship is unlike any other that we have or have ever had before. It is a relationship with our Creator whom we can depend on and who will never betray us. If we want to have a relationship with Him, we must have a complete surrender of the heart, meaning we walk with Him in obedience. We can tell Him anything. He already knows. He knew from the beginning of time everything about us. And He loves us just as we are. But, He does not want us to stay the way we are; rather He wants us to be more like His Son, Jesus. So, how do we achieve becoming more like Jesus? We remain (abide) in Him—we obey Him. Let’s look at what Jesus says about this.

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them in to the fire; and they are burned.”

John 15:4-6

One way that we remain in Christ is to ask Him for wisdom, which we are told to seek. We also get wisdom from reading His word and we are instructed to meditate on it daily. The more we read the Bible, the more we understand. If we continue to read it throughout our lifetime, we will find new treasures each time we read it. We can read God’s word many times over for the rest of our lives and never run out of new revelations. As we read and meditate upon God’s word, the Bible, we should do what it says to do—apply these instructions to our lives. This applying of instruction is abiding in Christ, living according to His will. It is not always easy because Satan will try to deceive us and twist God’s word. As I mentioned in a previous post, “Relationship with God-Part 2,” this is why it is crucial to fellowship with other Christ followers—to help us in our daily walk with God. We need others to help us understand God’s word, pray with and for us, and walk with us through our struggles.

A Child of God Receives Divine Protection

Once we become a child of God, we receive His protection. If you are a parent, you naturally protect your children. You teach your children obedience and when they step out of line, you give them consequences to help them learn that their wrong actions are not good for them. You want the best for them and you will go to any length to protect your child. This is the same for God, except that God is all powerful and thwarts the evil intended by Satan to destroy us. When we walk in God’s precepts, we are divinely protected. 

The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time and forever.

Psalm 121:7-8

There are times when we are blindsighted by circumstances in life that we never saw coming; or even times when we do see trouble on the horizon and we don’t know what to do. God’s children have hope and know that He will intervene and protect us. Today, there are circumstances we see that are a threat to our way of life and even our existence. What would we do if we had no hope? It’s sad to write this, but many people today live life without God and therefore have no hope.

A Child of God Receives Provision

Our very existence depends upon God. We can’t breathe without the oxygen that God has placed into the atmosphere. We can’t eat without the food God has provided for us. We can’t drink without the water that God sends from the heavens. We may acknowledge these facts and understand that all these good things come from God, but do we believe this about everything else? What about our family? mortgage or rent? work? education? transportation? clothes? rest and relaxation? God provides all our needs and even some of our desires as well. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples to not worry.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow, they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:25-34

Can we agree that God provided for us when we were babies and He is still providing for us today? If so, we can be certain that He will provide for us tomorrow. Our part is to trust Him, no matter how uncomfortable our circumstances may become, for He is with us always.

A Child of God Receives Blessings

The greatest blessing that we could ever receive as a child of God is eternity in Heaven with our Savior Jesus Christ. There will be no evil in heaven; nor will there be tears, worries, or failure. Further, scripture tells us that we, His children, can not fathom what God wants to give us—not only in Heaven, but in the here and now, on this earth.

Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 

There are so many blessings that God gives us just because He loves us. I know many of you have received special blessings that God has given just to you that you cherish and I would like to hear about them.

I will share a few of my blessings from God that I thank Him for lately:

My husband, my parents who are still living in their eighties, my golden retriever Bella, the ability to work from home—and one that I never even thought to ask for—wild blueberries growing in my back yard. When we purchased our home in South Carolina three years ago, one summer day a few months after we moved in, we discovered that we had lots of blackberries in our backyard. I had a true déjà vu moment! It took me back to my childhood in Louisiana where I picked blackberries with my sweet grandmother. I remember the fun we had picking them and then later making a quickie pie with them. All I could think was wow—what an unexpected blessing! It was like a warm, cozy moment that transported me back to my childhood.

As I close, I am reminded of the great sacrifice Jesus made for me. I am a child of God; I am no longer a slave to past sins or failures.

It is my sincere prayer that anyone who reads this blog today and has not yet surrendered their life to Christ Jesus will do so today and become an heir to the throne of Heaven. 

I hope you enjoy the special song below that I have included for your listening pleasure.

“No Longer Slaves” – Jonathan David and Melissa Helser

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.