El Shaddai - The All-sufficient one!(Newsletter 23:7:00)
Newsletter 23:7:00
Newsletter 23:7:00
El Shaddai - The All-sufficient one!
Keith Moore has been on Believer's Voice of Victory (Channel 2 , 7am) for the last couple of weeks doing some excellent teaching on pride and humility. It sure located a few areas in my life. Keith shared that he hadn't been aware of just how dependent he was on the Power of God, so he asked God to show him. He had been teaching and preaching in Bible Training Center and Healing School for years - he had the word in the abundance of his heart and usually wouldn't have a great deal prepared - just get a scripture and run with it. Well, the day after he prayed that prayer, he found that the Grace had departed from him. He couldn't put one verse with another, one thought with another. He had to get someone else to take the service. Then the Lord spoke to him in this manner: " While it is important that you have an understanding of who you are, (in Christ, that is) you must first understand who you are 'in you.'"
The Lord gave him four 'In you' truths:
1) In yourself you are nothing. Galatians 6:3 "If anyone thinks himself to be something,
when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
2) In yourself you know nothing. 1Corinthians 8:2 "And if anyone thinks that he knows
anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.""
We won't get it through effort alone - revelation must come through the Holy Spirit.
3) In yourself you have nothing. 1Cor. 4:7 "And what do you have that you did not
receive?"
4) In yourself you can do nothing. John 15:5 "For without me you can do nothing."
Keith went on to teach that the bible word for pride literally means: "to envelop in smoke, to inflate." Obadiah 3 "The pride of your heart has deceived you." Pride then involves deception, of yourself and others.
Humility means: to bow down, to go low. Humility is submitting to reality, and grasping the truth.
The 'pride of life' (1John 2:16) is trusting in one's own ability and resources. The lie is: "I can handle this. I can fix it."
Humility is casting your cares onto God (1Peter 5:7) because "God sets himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace continually to the lowly - those who are humble-minded [enough to receive it]." (James 4:6)
God wants to bless us, but there are times that, because of the attitude of our hearts, He would be violating His word. We have to put ourselves in a position to receive.
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Here's some keys to giving God a way in to your situation, so He can show you a way out:
a) Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful for what you do have. We owe our very
existence to the Creator and source of all life. The arrogance of pride maintains the lie: "I deserve more!"
b) Seek the Lord. He is El Shaddai, the All-sufficient one. (Genesis 17:1) The God-Who-Is-
More-Than-Enough! He said: "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you." (James 4:8) The danger is that we can tend to focus on our problems, and we become the center of our universe. Elijah's greatest moment quickly became his worst, because he allowed Jezebel's threat to turn his focus on himself. (1Kings 19) "I am no better than my fathers!" After what had just transpired on the mountain that was a pretty hard reality to face. He tried to solve the situation with the arm of the flesh, and failed miserably. God was gracious to him, but had to get Elijah's focus off himself and back onto God - which He did with an awesome demonstration of His power. Also, to seek God is to seek His Word.
c) Acknowledge your own shortcomings. This is the truth of humility, and an honest
appraisal of yourself will save you from being critical or judgmental to others. All judgmental attitudes are rooted in pride. When you acknowledge that you are not enough, you are making room for the God Who is More Than Enough.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3) The word Jesus used for 'poor' here means total and abject poverty. Totally without resources, therefore totally depending on God. "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." Psalm 37:18
d) Release any offense against others. Proverbs 13:10 "By pride comes only contention.." Psalm 9:4 "For you have maintained my right and my cause." If you're maintaining your own rights, He's not.
d) Recognize that He is your total Source of Supply. He is the All
Sufficient One. Nothing can be stolen off you that God can't replace a hundredfold. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) And if He doesn't give it, believe me, you don't want it.
e ) Hand it over. Cast your cares. "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5) The margin reference for that word 'commit' says: 'literally, roll off onto.' I believe it was wrestling term - the picture is getting a firm grip on your 'way' - the daily affairs, problems and course of your life - and body slamming it over onto the Lord. He said He would bring it to pass. He didn't say when or how. That is none of your business, and if you make it yours, it will no longer be His. Leave it to El Shaddai!
Steve & Jenney
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