Good day all. We have come to the end of the first week. The first thing I would like everyone to do today is to go to their journal and look at all the prayers that you have listed for the week. Mark on all of the ones that God has answered with the date it was answered. Wow isn’t God Good.!!!!!!! Isn’t he concerned with our welfare? If you haven’t started journaling. Please do start today. Those that have, if you can comment on looking back and how seeing those answered prayers in you journal makes you feel, it will definitely encourage others.
Yesterday I was talking about pride and will again today. Pride is something that continually comes up and shows his head. It is sneaky. It is considered the worst of the seven deadly sins. So it is not a bad thing to dwell there a minute. J
So in 2 Kings 4-5 we are also told the story of the captain of the Guard, Naaman, who had leprosy. He went to Elisha. Instead of Elisha coming to meet with him he sent a messenger and told him to bathe in the river Jordan. Naaman was angry. He expected Elisha to come and see him personally and he expected him to do some specific ritual and to be healed. So he went home. His servant had to tell him ok. If he told you to do XYZ, or pay a lot of money you would be happy, but to just bath in the river you get angry. So he takes her advice and goes and bathes in the river and is healed. He then goes to Elisha and offers him payment. Elisha says it isn’t necessary. Elisha’s servant then goes after Naaman and get payment under false pretenses and then lies to Elisha so he ends up with Naama’s affliction.
Wow a powerful story. I am sure most of us have heard it before. This is definitely a story about pride. Naaman first of all expected Elisha to personally greet him. He was the captain of the guard. He shouldn’t have a servant come to greet him. Proud and arrogant. Are any of us proud and arrogant? It is easy to see pride in others especially when they are arrogant and it is blatant, but what about the subtle kind of pride? No one wants to be around arrogant people. They are fun at first but after a while it becomes tiring. You see their confidence, but after a while you really see their insecurities. I wonder if Naaman was insecure, which is why he excelled at what he did? Why he was arrogant and pride full? Was it so that he can build up a wall around himself so no one can see the real Naaman who felt cursed and rejected because of his leprosy?
That is what pride does it builds a wall around you to prevent people from seeing you vulnerabilities. People do not get really close to pride full people. I believe it is for two reasons one is because they see too much of themselves in them and second because that is what the person thinks they want. They feel if they let someone in it will hurt. Well yes it will, but I can promise you not as much as loneliness hurts. (I bet all of us now truly appreciate the saying it is better to have loved and loss than to never to have loved at all. J )
There is another type of pride in here as well. It is always knowing what needs to be done. Naaman expected XYZ to be done, not go and wash in the river. Please; the Jordan is dirty and nasty. I could probably catch something much worse in there than leprosy. This man don’t know what he is talking about. Besides there were better rives at home than the Jordan.
How many of us act like that when our spouse asks us to do something that we don’t like? How many of us try to convince our spouse that this way is better? Or better yet how many of us don’t say anything but either do it grumbling and slamming things or get real sarcastic or go grumbling to our friends?
I am learning more and more about this one flesh. Why do you all think your spouse don’t know what you are feeling or doing or saying? You are one flesh that is how God created you. So they know u don’t agree with them etc. How do you think that makes them feel? Especially when they are honestly trying to do right. There is your pride again, putting your feelings first. Putting your first. So absorbed in what you are feeling you don’t notice how you are make the other person feel. SELFISH!!!!
How many of us would act the same way if GOD had told us to do XYZ and we didn’t like it? And before you say you will do it in a heartbeat, how well are you doing what God has already asked you to do?
We even act prideful to God. One of the main things God has asked us to do is to be patient. Well we know we are not good at that. One of the main ways we show our pride in our relationship is God is when we ask for very specific prayers. I am not saying not to ask for things in prayers, and I am not saying not to ask for specific signs, but if we only ask for XYZ and tell God this is exactly what we need how arrogant can we be? We will miss out on so much. He plans are so much better than ours.
One other way that we show our arrogance to God is something I never thought of till my pastor was very blunt with me one day. A lot of us a walking around with a lot of self-guilt and self-pity. You are beating yourselves up over your past and over mistakes you have made. All believe that God has forgiven you and separated you from your past, but you can’t or won’t forgive yourself. WHO are you NOT to forgive your selves? Are you greater than God are you more righteous then GOD? My pastor told me WOW the arrogance. This is something we have to let go of. How can we forgive our spouse and the other people that are involved in the situation if we cannot even for give ourselves. LET IT GO. God already has, are you greater than GOD?
So if there is anything you haven’t forgiven yourself, today write it on a paper and pray while you burn it. It is over God has already forgiven you. It is not time to forgive yourself so you can move on to greater and better.
Then in your journal:
. Write any prayer you have for Today. Anything you need for today. No matter how small.
Also write anything you are thankful for today and some praises to God. For he is worthy and deserves it. Amen.
If you still have time or at some point today. Find a verse or scripture text reading. Anything out of the bible and read and meditate on it for a few minutes, then write a little bit about what you got from it, how it made you feel. Anything.
(We will do these every day).
Anthonette.
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Father God as we come to you today please help us to see and hidden area of pride in us. Pride is the most deceptive weapon used by the enemy. Father as we continue on these days to seek you and draw closer, please continue to show us anything that is hindering us from the plans you have for us. Please let us for give ourselves and move on from our mistakes in to you love and please abundance. In Jesus name Amen.
