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A Lesson in Body Image from an “R” Rated Bible Study

June 4, 2013 in 2013 Journey, Health, Marriage, Song of Solomon with 1 Comment

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Song of Songs 1:1 through 8:14

The Song of Songs, also called the Song of Solomon, is a collection of love poems between a husband and wife, with occasional sections attributed to friends or relative who share in the couple’s happiness.  There’s a great debate over what this book focuses on how it should be interpreted.

Is it simply a great lyric love poem?

Or is it intended to tell us something about God?

If it does not speak of God, then why would it be included in the Scriptures?

I’m definitely not going to attempt to answer these questions, but there is a very simple thought that came to mind as I blushed my way through Solomon’s “Song of Songs!”

I noticed as I read each verse; there’s a lot of talk from both the husband and the wife about each other’s physical features:  eyes, hair, teeth, smile, lips, cheeks, neck, breasts, heart, head, arms, body, legs, posture, mouth, sandaled feet, rounded thighs, naval, and nose.

But, there was one word missing:

Perfect

In today’s world we think that our body parts both individually and collectively have to be “perfect” or they’re somehow ugly.  We didn’t get that from the most romantic book in the Bible. This couple pointed out every wonderful detail about each other. We, in the 21st century, spend so much time grieving over not being perfect and trying to fix “stuff” that we miss the simple beauty of God’s creation when we look in the mirror.  Yes, guys, I’m talking to you too!

I hope you enjoyed today’s romantic poetry.  Maybe you should read it together with your husband or wife!  Whether you’re married or not, know that Your God is pursuing you, longing to be with you, and adoring you–you are loved!

Don’t miss this video!  We are perfect just the way we are!

YouTube Preview Image

Thanking God for you!

 

 ©2013, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  1 Kings 11: 1-43; 2 Chronicles 9: 29-31; Ecclesiastes 1:1 through 1: 11

How to Get Your Prayers Answered—Psalm 79:9

May 19, 2013 in 2013 Journey, Biblical Principles, Depression, Divorce, Failure, Family, Finances, Health, leadership, Marriage, Parenting, Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, Tough Times, Trials, Workplace with 1 Comment

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Psalms 79 through 82

Do you struggle in knowing how to pray?

Do you question the discipline of prayer when your prayers aren’t answered?

Then I would encourage you to read Psalm 79 out loud.

As you read this imagine Asaph as a mediator between the Israelites and God. His way of talking to God in this psalm reminds me of Moses.

Asaph gives God the gory details of everything that is going on in “His” (God’s) land.  It’s the same old story:  complaint, prayer, and promise to be good next time (Does this sound familiar?)

But in verse nine it takes an interesting turn.  Here’s the prayer we can learn from Asaph—

Help us, O God of our salvation!

Help us for the glory of your name.

Save us and forgive our sins

For the honor of Your Name.

Psalm 78:9

What could happen–

–if–

the only thing we cared about was making sure our life glorified and honored the name of Jesus?

I know Asaph wanted God to go in and kill their enemies, so his motive may not have been entirely pure, but there’s still a lesson for us to learn.

This life is not about our glory.

It’s not about our leaders’ glory.

It’s not about our country’s glory.

It’s about pointing EVERYTHING and EVERYONE to Jesus so that He receives the glory and the honor.

What if our prayers sounded something like this…

  • when we prayed for finances– we prayed for God to intervene so that He would receive glory and honor
  • when we prayed for a spouse– we prayed for God to divinely place us with the person in whom He could get the most glory
  • when we prayed for a career change– we believed God for His Glory and Honor to be noticed is His career choice for us
  • when we prayed for our healing –we first asked God what we needed to do to facilitate the healing process and then we asked him to intervene in our health in a way that would bring His Kingdom the most glory

Friends, make no mistake, I am not here yet!

But I want to be; I’m moving toward this goal by “Knowing Him More.”

The bottom line: 

If every prayer we prayed asked God to work the circumstances so that He received the glory and the honor, ALL of our prayers would be answered!

 

To God Be The Glory!

©2013, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Psalm 83; 1 Chronicles 29:23-25; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 2: 13 through 3:4; 2 Chronicles 1: 2-6; 1 Kings 3: 5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-13

Two Lessons I Learned From the Tower of Babel –Genesis 11:1-9

January 4, 2013 in 2013 Journey, Biblical Principles, Family, Genesis, leadership, Marriage, Pride with 1 Comment


 

Today’s scripture reading:  Gen. 11:1-26, 1 Chron. 1:24-27, Gen. 11:27-14:24

There are so many amazing truths  in today’s reading; I am relying on you to help me find them all, but I was stopped in my tracks by the first nine verses.Here are two lessons I learned from the Tower of Babel:

1. Pride will send you away from God and from the people you love–In Gen. 11:4, Noah’s descendants said, Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky.  One meaning for the Hebrew word in the original language for “sky” was heaven, as in the abode of God.  From the commentaries I read it seems as though these folks thought building a tower to the heavens would get them closer to God and make them famous, like God.  But as they were physically trying to move closer to God, their impure motives ultimately moved them away from God AND the people they loved.

2. Nothing is impossible when people are united. After reading the story of the Tower of Babel, I think unity, which can be further defined as speaking the same language (understanding where another person is coming from), is the most powerful human tool we have on this earth.  It is so powerful that God watched and said, (my paraphrase) “…we better do something, these folks are united and they are speaking the same language.  With this going for them they can accomplish anything they set out to do!”   

King David said in Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (NIV) And the Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:18 As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone (GWT). )  What could we do in this new year if we just took the advice of these two men who are still affecting the world today by their divine, God-given wisdom.

Unity does not come easy; it has to be fought and sacrificed for.  The funny thing is the biggest sacrifice we will have to make to have unity is our pride (wow! What a connection!) Replacing unity for pride in families, friendships, churches, communities, and nations could change the world!  Wait, just having unity in our families could change the world.

Join with me in a commitment to make 2013 a Romans 12:18 year! 

The Bottom Line:  Lose the Pride, Find the Unity

Have a  Blessed  Day!

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©2013, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 15:1-17:27

Can God Use Me Even Though I’ve Denied Him?–Luke 22:54-60

November 2, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Divorce, Failure, Forgiveness, Jesus, John, leadership, Luke, Mark, Marriage, Matthew, My story, Pride, Rejection, Sin with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Mark 14:53-65, Matthew 26:57-68, Mark 14:66-72, Matthew 26:69-75, Luke 22:54-62, John 18:25-27, Mark 15:1, Matthew 27:1-2, Luke 22:66-71, Matthew 27:3-10

I’m a Christ follower.

I’m a Christian.

I believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word.

I believed Jesus died on the cross for my sins.

It’s pretty easy for me to type these words and announce to the unknown blogosphere that I’m a Christian.  But what about the days when I’m in a situation where my faith could cost me

  • My reputation
  • My status
  • A promotion
  • A new job opportunity
  • My selfish desires

What happens on those days?

 

Too many times I’ve chosen the world and the opinion of others and denied Jesus, just like Peter.

So they arrested him (Jesus) and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance.  The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.   A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  –Luke 22:54-60 NLT (Explanation mine)

Have you ever thought, “How could Peter do that?”

But when we really think about it, most of us have denied Jesus many more times than Peter.

There’s a significant message in Peter’s denial.  So significant that it is recorded in all four of the gospels.

This account tells me…

  • ANYONE can deny Jesus  (Matthew 16:13-18)
  • The first step to denying Christ is following Him at a distance (Matthew 26:58)
  • Jesus knows that we’re going to deny Him but he still chooses to use us
  • Those God chooses to use mightily will be tested
  • We deny Jesus in different ways; sometimes with our words and sometimes with our actions

I remember a time years ago when my words and my actions were saying two different things.  My words were proclaiming Christ as Lord of my life but my actions were denying Him.  When I came to my senses I repented and God forgave me. But occasionally the enemy of my soul reminds me of that time and tries to convince me that God cannot use me because of my denial.

Because of Peter’s story, I know that’s a lie.

Jesus told Peter He was going to be the rock (foundation) of the church (Matthew 16:13-18) BEFORE Peter denied Him.  And that’s exactly what happened!

Do you feel you cannot be used of God because of your times of denying Christ?

If you’ve denied Christ repent, move close to Him and be about your calling!

Heavenly Father, we’re so thankful you understand our humanness.  Forgive us for denying You in our words and our actions.  Help us to overcome the enemy’s attempts to keep us from being all that You called us to be.  Use us for Your Kingdom and Your Glory.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller


Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Mark 15:2-5, Matthew 27:11-14, Luke 23:1-12, John 18:28-40, Mark 15:6-15, Matthew 27:15-26, Luke 23:13-25, John 19:1-16, Mark 15:16-20, Matthew 27:27-31, Luke 22:63-65

I Want My Family in “The Family”–Matthew 16:13-17

October 12, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Becoming a Christ Follower, Biblical Principles, Christian Living, Divorce, Family, Friendship, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Luke, Mark, Marriage, Matthew, Parenting, Prayer, The Hurting World, Workplace with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading: Mark 8:22-30, Matthew 16:13-20, Luke 9:18-20, Mark 8:31-9:1, Matthew 16:21-28, Luke 9:21-27, Mark 9:2-13, Matthew 17:1-13, Luke 9:28-36

I want everyone I love and care about to be a part of the Family of God! I want them to have the free gift of eternal life!

Do you have family members, friends, or co-workers who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior?  I know I do.  I was having a conversation this past week-end with some of our family.  We were discussing our great desire for our all our family, friends and loved ones to “know Him.”

We were wondering

What we could say…

What we could do…

To help them to know Christ;

…maybe we could give them a DVD, a song, or a book.

Or maybe getting someone to talk with them,

yea, maybe that’ll  work!

After reading today’s scriptures it seems we should spend more time praying and asking God to reveal Himself to our loved ones in the method He thinks is best, and less time fretting, scheming and plotting to “get them saved.”

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. –Matthew 16:13-17 (emphasis mine)

The apostle John also reminded us how we come to Jesus:

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. –John 6:44 (emphasis mine)

Less than twelve hours after that family conversation, God confirmed His Word by allowing us to witness a divinely orchestrated “God moment” in the lives of the very family members we were discussing.  Did they accept Jesus as their Savior?  I don’t know, we didn’t see any visible signs of interest.  But after what we saw, we KNOW God is working in their lives!

I’m still in awe of the way our God moved in this situation.

Let’s make a pact to pray more, worry less, and believe God to draw our loved ones to Himself.  Let’s take the God point of view rather than the human point of view.

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” –Mark 8:33 (emphasis mine)

Heavenly Father, we want our family, friends, co-workers, and the whole world to know You.  Help us to continually pray for their salvation and then expect You to orchestrate it!  We ask You to work in their lives so that they will come to accept You as their Savior.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen.

 

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 17:14-21, Luke 9:37-43a, Mark 9:30-32, Matthew 17:22-23, Luke 9:43b-45, Matthew 17:24-27, Mark 9:33-37, Matthew 18:1-6, Luke 9:46-48, Mark 9:38-41, Luke 9:49-50, Mark 9:42-50, Matthew 18:7-35

Are You Desperate? —Mark 5:21-43

October 7, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Believing God in the Hard Times, Depression, Family, Luke, Mark, Marriage, Matthew, Parenting with 0 Comments

 

There have been times in my life with I have prayed a faith-filled prayer and seen miracles happen.  But there have also been times when I  had no faith and faced a seemingly hopeless situation and Jesus came and touched me and made me new again.

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39, Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8:40-56

In Mark 5, two miracles happened in a matter of hours that give us hope in hopeless situations:

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. –Mark 5:25-26

As Jesus was making His way to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter, an unnamed woman with an incurable condition joined the crowd. She had suffered from bleeding for 12 years. This may have been a chronic menstrual disorder or a uterine hemorrhage. Her condition made her ritually unclean, excluding her from normal social relations since any who came in contact with her would become “unclean.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

She had spent all her money on doctors and nothing had helped, so it was either touch this Jesus or live in this lonely state of sickness and seclusion for the rest of her life.  She made her way through the crowd; she thought, “if I can just touch His robe.”  Immediately she was healed…she touched Jesus.

Jesus continued toward Jairus’ house, when the news came that Jairus’ daughter had died.  Jesus told Jairus, “don’t be afraid.  Just have faith.”

The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying.  Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!”  And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.  Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. –Mark 5:40-43

  • Two impossible situations
  • Two people desperate for Jesus
  • Two miracles
  • Two examples for you and me

Are you desperate today?  Whether you  touch the hem of His garment or He enters your home and takes your hand, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  He is your miracle-working God.

There is one thing these two people had in common, beside a need:

Desperation

Desperation + knowledge of Jesus’ miracle working power = faith to believe the impossible is possible.

Let’s take our desperate situations to Jesus and expect a miracle.

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5:14-15)

I read a great post from Lysa TerKeurst, at the Proverbs 31 website.  If you have time check it out:  Why am I scared to pray boldly?

Heavenly Father, we want to have faith that is pleasing to you.  We believe, help our unbelief (Mark 9:24).

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Matthew 9:27-34, Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 13:53-58, Matthew 9:35-38, Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-6

Lord, I Want That Job — Matthew 5:3-12

October 2, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Becoming a Christ Follower, Jesus, leadership, Luke, Marriage, Matthew, Pride with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading: Mark 3:7-19; Luke 6:12-16; Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6:17-26; Matthew 5:13-48; Luke 6:27-36; Matthew 6:1-4

Lord, I want to be Your disciple.  I want to serve You.  I don’t just want to “know” about You, I want to really know You and I want to cause others to know You.

But, where do I start?

Can you give me an idea of what one of Your representatives looks like?

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,

      for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 God blesses those who mourn,

      for they will be comforted.

 God blesses those who are humble,

      for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,

      for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those who are merciful,

      for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure,

      for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace,

      for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,

      for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.   –Matthew 5:1-10

Yes, Lord.  I want to be this kind of person.  Make me more like You today.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller

 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-7:6; Luke 6:37-42; Matthew 7:7-20; Luke 6:43-45; Matthew 7:21-29; Luke 6:46-49

Do You Have a Rejection Phobia?—Jeremiah 33:25

August 24, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Biblical Principles, Divorce, Family, Issues Women Face, Jeremiah, Marriage, Rejection, Trust with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Jeremiah 32:1 through 33:26; Ezekiel 26:1-14

Is the fear of rejection something you occasionally battle or does this fear run your life and hold you back like a ship’s anchor?

No one is immune to this fear/phobia.  We can be fearless in some areas, maybe most areas of our life and then have one area that we are petrified at the thought of being rejected, tossed aside or not included.

In Jeremiah 32, Jerusalem was under siege from the Babylonians and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace.  The Lord sent a message to the Israelites through Jeremiah:

I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it.  The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods.  Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds,” says the Lord.  “From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it. –Jeremiah 32:28-31

If you were a Jew living in that day, would you have felt rejected?

It’s one thing to be rejected by a stranger, friend, or family member, but to think you’ve been rejected by the God of the universe; that must be a pretty lonely feeling.

The Lord heard the talk on the streets and brought it up to Jeremiah:

“Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. –Jeremiah 33:24

To the Jews and the people of other heathen nations it probably looked like God was rejecting Israel—everything that could go wrong did.  I’m sure the Jews kept saying, “But we are ‘God’s chosen people’; this shouldn’t be happening to us!”

Have you ever said that?

“Lord, this shouldn’t be happening, I’m Your child.  I’m serving You!”

Have You forgotten about me?

Have You rejected me?

Here’s what the Lord said to the Jews and to us (see Galatians 3:6-9):

I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.  I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them. –Jeremiah 33:25-26

Friends, we live in a fallen world.  Imperfect people will reject us, things will seem to work against us, but make no mistake

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your God Will Never Reject You!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He will restore you to wholeness–Just Trust Him!

The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. –Joel 2:25

Heavenly Father, the fear of rejection is like an epidemic in the Christian world today.  Help us to know that we can count on you to never fail us or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5).  Holy Spirit, help us to walk in confidence knowing that the One, True, Living God will ALWAYS be for us , so who can be against us (Romans 8:31).  Jesus, help us to do the work you’ve called us to do with boldness and confidence for Your Glory and Your Honor.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Ezekiel 26:15 through Ezekiel 28:26; 2 Kings 25:3-7; Jeremiah 52:6-11; Jeremiah 39:2-10

Why Do People Stay On Their Self-Destructive Path? Jeremiah 8:4-5

August 8, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Family, Finances, Friendship, Health, Jeremiah, Marriage, Parenting, Workplace with 2 Comments


Today’s Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 8:4-11:23

Do you ever want to ask a co-worker, friend, or family member…

Why are you determined to destroy your health, finances, career, or family?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself this same question?

In Jeremiah 8:4-7, the God of the universe gives us a glimpse of His frustrations with His children who continue to take the wrong path:

 “Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again? 

When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back? 

Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?
Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?

They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.
I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth.

 Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?
Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?

No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.

They all return at the proper time each year.

But not my people!

They do not know the Lord’s laws.”

This makes me so sad.  How many times the Lord, must have looked at my life and said, “What’s wrong with this girl?  Doesn’t she get it?  She’s on the wrong road, why doesn’t she turn back?”

I believe we’re living in the age that Matthew 24:24 talks about, where “even God’s chosen ones can be deceived.”  We must stay close to Him and stay close to His Word.  When you have a question about a path you’re thinking of taking, ask yourself, “What does the Bible stay?”  And don’t move until you find HIS answer.

This was the problem in Jeremiah’s day “they did not know the Lord’s laws;” it’s a big problem in today world too. God’s Word is the solution to getting off the path of self-destruction. Make it a part of your daily life and your path of choice will be completely different.

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for neglecting Your Word.  Teach us Your ways.  Show us the path we should take.  Holy Spirit, bring Proverbs 3:5-6 to fulfillment in our lives:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

 

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 12:1-15:21

A Comparison We need to Make — Proverbs 30:1-6

July 3, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Biblical Principles, Discipleship, Failure, Forgiveness, Issues Women Face, leadership, Marriage, My story, Obedience, Pride, Proverbs, Sin with 0 Comments

 Today’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 30:1-31:31

“Wow! I love hanging out with Judy (fictional name)! I always feel so smart and together after our visits!”

Sometimes we compare ourselves to others and walk away feeling downright good about ourselves. Sometimes, we leave one of our friends have a week-long pity party because we’re not like them.

Yes, we need to take time to count our blessings and Yes, the Bible tells us that friends sharpen us like iron (Proverbs 27:17) but there are better ways to do that than gloating on the weaknesses of others or feeling like our friends are so superior they are doing us a favor by speaking to us.

Today I saw a comparison in Proverbs 30:1-6 that needs to happen often in my life.

I…

    • Am Weary
    • Am Worn out
    • Am To stupid to be human
    • Lack Common Sense
    • Have not mastered human wisdom
    • Don’t know the Holy One

 

But God…

    • Goes up to heaven and comes back down
    • Holds the wind in his fists
    • Wraps the ocean in his cloak
    • Has created the whole wide world
    • Proves His every word to be true
    • Is a shield to all who come to him for protection

Friends, it’s okay to lose this comparison game.

Throughout God’s Word we see the sin of pride causing the most noble and godly to fall. I know it has been my biggest struggle in my life.

You may be thinking, “I” don’t have a pride problem.

You may not, but here’s are 10 questions to help you do a pride checkup:

  1.   Are you controlling?
  2.   Are you judgmental?
  3.   Are you insecure?
  4.   Do you always have to be right?
  5.   Do you love to argue, always need the last word?
  6.   Have problems listening?
  7.   Are you irritable and impatient?
  8.   Hate being corrected?
  9.   Do you feel life is really “all about you?”
  10. Are you constantly comparing yourself to others?

I have and sometimes continue to struggle with these ten “pride” symptoms. God has used “life” to work on me. I’m not where I want to be but thanks be to God I’m not where I was.

If we continually remind ourselves of the vastness of our God and the smallness and frailty of our life and being, we won’t have time to compare ourselves to others and we won’t have anything to be “proud” about.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for seeing myself superior to others. Forgive me for seeing myself below others. Show me the areas of pride in my life. Continually remind me of how I compare to You, so I can forget about me and know You more and help others to know You too!

 

In Jesus Name. Amen and Amen!

 

© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalms 42-46

 

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