The Word To Live By: 8-25-25
Phil Waggoner
Therefore, submit to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people. James 4:7,8
The Word To Live By: What’s our rule of Bible interpretation? When you see the word, therefore, see what it’s there for. Actually, to do this, you need to go all the way to verse 1 in chapter 4 to really get a handle on what James is saying here, but verse 6 sums it all up, so we will start there. But He (God the Father) gives greater grace. Therefore, He says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Pride is one of those human personality traits that can stop the flow of God in you and through you. Even if you don’t know it’s a scripture, most people know the saying, “Pride goes before the fall.” Pride produces selfishness, arrogance, greed, anger, and the list goes on and on. Google got it right. “Biblical humility is not putting yourself down; it’s being teachable and serving others. In a biblical context, to be humble means to have a modest, accurate view of oneself in relation to God and others, characterized by a lack of pride and a deep sense of dependence on God. It involves a willingness to submit to God's will and serve others in contrast to the self-serving nature of pride, which is considered sinful. Being humble manifests as a "lowliness of mind," which leads to selfless actions like putting others' needs first, acting with a quiet and gentle spirit, and acknowledging one's unworthiness before the Almighty.” I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: God’s not against you having the desires of your heart. He’s against the desires of your heart, having you. Proverbs 22:4 says, “The result of humility is fear of the Lord, along with wealth, honor, and life.” Always remember that it is in Him that you live, and move, and have your being. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything you need for life and Godliness will be added to you.
Read through the Bible in a year: John 6:22-59; 1 Chronicles 24; Zechariah 10;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 25, Matthew 28:11-20, 1 Corinthians 12
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160