MONDAY JUNE 22, 2020
TOPIC: ARROGANCE KILLS
TEXT:2 CHRONICLES 10:1-19
KEY VERSE: "But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him" (2 CHRONICLES 10:8).
The reign of Louis XIV of France is synonymous with elegance and arrogance. He was called the "Sun King". No other personality, with the exception of Napoleon, ever dominated French history to the extent he did.
The king and the queen, Marie Antoinette, were far removed from the sufferings and yearnings of the masses. This bred bitter resentment which culminated in the French Revolution that led to the death of tens of thousands with 17,000 people, including the king and the queen, guillotined.
Rehoboam was also an arrogant and reckless young man. He chose to be guided by the advice of his peers instead of the wise counsel of elders to address the complaints of his subjects. When he threatened to impose hard taxation and chastise his people with scorpions, the tribal representatives announced their secession from the union and appointed Jeroboam as their leader. Thus, the unified kingdom built up by David came to an abrupt end.
Many people begin their Christian walk well with focus and wholehearted commitment to God. But subtly, pride and arrogance begin to well up within, setting the stage for a downfall.
God accepts only service to Him and humanity that is rendered with a humble, contrite heart. Those who rule over others must be just and lead them in the fear of God. To leave Him out or try to take His place in the affairs of the people is to toe the path of the fallen Lucifer.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: To disregard constructive criticism is clear arrogance.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 KINGS 8
HIGHER EVERYDAY
MONDAY JUNE 22, 2020
TOPIC: HEAR FROM GOD HABITUALLY
TEXT:2 SAMUEL 2:1-7
MEMORY VERSE: "And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron" (2 SAMUEL 2:1).
According to Norm Rasmussen, "God always has our best interests at heart, but our flesh wants to cast its vote and make its wishes and desires known, and we tend to follow what our flesh wants rather than what God wants."
Unfortunately, the human "flesh nature" does not obey God. Many young people tend to use their reasoning abilities without consulting God on any of the decisions that they make.
Yet, you can hear God better when you ignore your flesh. It may sound impossible, but if you must hear an answer from God, like David in our text, ignore the voice of the flesh and never let your emotions hinder you from hearing the voice of God.
Abraham and Moses heard from God. Jesus heard from God always. He was "dead to self," because He knew that "the mind of the flesh" is directly opposed to the things of God. In order not to be deceived by the devil, ensure you pray, study the Bible regularly, and always listen to God's Spirit.
QUOTE: Ignore your flesh.
CHALLENGE: Do you consult God in the things you do?
PRAYER: Gracious God, let the devil not deceive me.