Leaving the Worthless to Find God's Illuminating Grace

Proverbs 13:13-14...............13 He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death. NKJV

Ever hear someone say, "well they lived for Jesus and now they are dead in this terrible traffic accident"? Some bad things can happen to "good people", but I wonder how many things could be avoided daily when we heed the Holy Spirit to stop what we are doing and hear Him!
Just like the soccer team that had tickets on the ill-fated Germanwings flight, and yet the team made their ticket exchange for another flight and lived to tell about it! They have lived to play another soccer game.

We can find safety in the Word of God. We can run to it and find the place that is safe for us to reside that looks like obeying the Word, hearing the instructing Word and having peace to be our guide in it and through it!

There was an interesting story on the news the other day about teenage drivers and how more prone they are to terrible accidents when they have their peers with them in the car. They recorded some of the youths as they drove and I was astonished how many took their eyes off the roadway just to text or dial a number on their cell phone or talk with the passenger in the back seat. So I wonder how many are daily driving the roadways while doing this incredible feat and live to tell about it!
Yet all these young people went through a driver's course to learn the rules of the road, and it all goes out the window once they get their license! It is evident of the news reports that many young teenagers die needlessly every year by not "heeding" what they had learned before taking the steering wheel of the car!
Interesting that they thought to record all this, but we know we receive what the Word says about this situation and others just like it.  For any believer in Jesus, our course of action is to dedicate and consecrate wholly ourselves to Him, that we will carry our His plan for our lives. It is His plan for us to have long lives that are not cut short because of some "terrible" thing happening! Jesus carried out the plan God had set for Him as we read in the Gospels of His earthly ministry.
God is looking for those who will say as Jesus did, "Not my will, Father, but Your will be done."

John 12:23-26........23 Jesus replied, "the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single see. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be, My Father will honor the one who serves me. NIV

Serving the Lord, and giving honor is the theme. Where will we find Jesus? We find Him always following God's plan for His life. Jesus was taking instruction in following truth.           

1 Peter 5:5-11......................5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 

"God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble."  

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.    NKJV

This pride is according to this passage of scripture that which we are to cast all our care on Him. That means we are to be anxious for nothing. We are not to have anxiety! Period.
So if you have teenagers who will soon be driving, remember we do not take the report of the world that teenagers are dying by the hundreds due to cell phone use, but we believe and hold the Word of God of a good report that our children will not die, but declare the works of God!

Psalm 118:17   .......17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. NKJV

We are to be sober, alert, vigilant watching over our lives and our children's that we face each day resisting the devil by faith. We are to cast down imaginations and take no thought of saying the negative for our lives or our children's lives or grand-children's lives. Our hearts are not to be troubled by anything going on in the world. As we abide in the Word of God, we are strengthened to voice what God says about us and our families.

The words "grace" and "gracious" are found almost 200 times in Scripture. The word comes from the Greek word "charis" a word that the Greeks admired. This word for God's grace is extended to man, and signifies unmerited favor, undeserved blessing, a free gift.

To whom does God give grace?  He gives it to those who humble themselves under His authority of His Word. Remember His thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways. Isaiah 55:8-9.........8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. NKJV

So if a person becomes proud, he will not participate in grace. The point is then, we are to remain humble, to stay in grace and operate there.

James 4:4-10.................4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 

"God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble."  

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.    NKJV

According to what is written, we are to submit to God. Draw near to HIM and we will see HIM draw near to us and to cleanse our hands, purify our hearts and not be double-minded. Seems plain does it not, that it takes some things of our doing to be humble before God?

Yes, again there is that word that "God resists the proud", "but gives grace to the humble."

We find in the Greek text, the noun humble and the verbs, humbles, and humbled are from the same root word. It refers to something that is low or made low.

Humility is the voluntary submission to God's will. It is a drawing near to HEAR Him speak to us. It comes with seeing things as they really are, and that is the godly fear, the reverence toward the God, the Creator of the universe. It is only found in the heart and never comes from the "flesh creature". 

It is the standard of a true belief and trust in submitting to God, not by show like the Pharisees, but actually obeying and following God and being willing to submit what He instructs to our hearts!  So following after Jesus, and serving Him, is a true look of humility.

So being humble before God and being obedient would be the culmination of our walk with God and NOT TO WORRY! It is about trust in what He gives us in truth of His Word for life. Casting all the concerns, all the worries, all anxieties, once and for all on Him knowing He will perfect that which concerns us.

Even to the point of the Cross, Jesus said in Matthew 26:39, 42, 44..............Matt 26:39-44

 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 

NKJV

Like for Jesus, grace is able to make us strong in weakness............1 Timothy 1:14...14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. NKJV

That grace will put us over and strengthen us as we take on that which tries to stop us!

Grace will give us instruction............Titus 2:11-12..............11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,   NKJV

Grace will change our speech..........Ephesians 4:29.........29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. NKJV

Colossians 4:6........"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer each one."

God's grace always causes us to rise above the circumstance and take our place in victory. It always comes from humbling our hearts and heeding His instruction, for He truly knows what is on our pathway that could cause harm, but heeding Him will cause us to live in safety and abide in His peace.

2 Peter 3:17-18................17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.  NKJV

Father, Your Word says that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). We pray today that we will not deceive ourselves by not asking You where we are missing the mark You have set for our lives. Please reveal to us when we are not doing the things we should be doing. We understand today that YOU discipline those You love (Proverbs. 3:12) Help us today to hear Your specific instructions to us. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. The discipline YOU bring Father produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who are trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Right now we confess any sin in our heart and ask forgiveness in faith knowing You will cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Give to us clear revelation and show us what we need to see in order to walk out of the shadow of the past and into the light You have for us. Give us discernment to recognize that which is worthless to us and help us to move away from it.
Today we humble ourselves to be submitted and to receive Your instruction. Rule over our hearts, minds, souls and bodies with Your Word. We commit to live worry free in the name of Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death.
Today we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us to walk this journey into life eternal with You. All things are possible for us because we are believers. It is in Jesus' name we have prayed. Amen.

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