GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE HUMBLE!

BARBARA E. PERKINS

GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE HUMBLE!

God’s word in 1 Peter 5:5-6 (NKJV) encourages us in this manner, “… Be clothed with humility, ‘For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” Father God, thank You for revealing to Your people over and over again that You are not pleased with the “proud.” However, Your word tells us that You give grace (favor) to the “humble” and if that wasn’t enough Father God, You also said You may exalt the “humble.” Thank You for Your word, LORD. You said it, so my purpose in life is to be humble because it pleases You, LORD. If I am walking in pride, will that affect my relationship with You, Father God and how You view pride? In Proverbs 8:13 God word says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” Then God’s word provides more insight in Proverbs 6:16-19, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Pride leads to a mighty fall from grace as seen in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” How will pride affect my prayer life? God’s word in Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” LORD, it is clear to me that pride is sin and if I have iniquity/sin in my heart You will not hear me when I pray. That is so profound!!! LORD, just as “Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to You to the point of death on the cross” to save humanity, You want a humble people (Philippians 2:7-11). Jesus Christ is our perfect example and He died so that I (and all of humanity) could live in Him. Heavenly Father, it is so obvious from Your word that You hate pride and You want Your people humble. Help me, LORD! Help us LORD, the body of Christ to be the humble people You desire us to be. I love You, LORD! Thank You for Your mercy and grace! Thank You for giving us another chance to be pleasing to You.

BARBARA E. PERKINS

BARBARA E. PERKINS

WHAT IS IT THAT GOD CAN’T DO?

In Jeremiah 32:26-27 (NKJV) the word of God declares, 26 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 ‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’” The answer is emphatically NO, LORD! Father God, thank You for confirming the answer to Your own question in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Today, we are bombarded with so much in our lives that sometimes things look too complicated and impossible to be resolved. What should we do? I cry out to God! I cry out to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, like Peter when he walked on water and began to sink (Matthew 14:29-30). 29 “So He (Jesus) said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he (Peter) saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Peter looked at the circumstances and the circumstances made him sink. That’s what the circumstances of life do to us. But, Peter cried out to Jesus and put his focus back on the Lord. Immediately, Jesus saved Peter’s life. This is a powerful example of God’s word in action. IF I am not focused on God and on Jesus Christ, my circumstances could cause me to sink in despair. When I read and meditate God’s word I am encouraged. Thank You, LORD GOD, for reminding me that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH YOU. LORD, that means that through prayer, You can change my circumstances and I can walk in victory. But, I have to always remember that You want me faithful to You, Jesus Christ, and Your word. Oh, the magnitude of Your love, Your grace and power. LORD, You are amazing! I am so grateful that there is nothing in my live that is too hard for You to handle. I bow my head and worship YOU, LORD GOD and JESUS CHRIST for Your GOODNESS!!! It’s Your GOODNESS that makes me shout, HALLELUJAH!!! HALLELUJAH, LORD, for the things You have done in my life.

IS GOD PLEASED WITH OUR PRAYER LIFE?

BARBARA E. PERKINS

IS GOD PLEASED WITH OUR PRAYER LIFE?

Are we really concerned for the well-being of others? In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NKJV) the word of God says emphatically, 13 “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” We are experiencing calamities every other week, if not every week in our various nations and especially in 2017. Something is wrong and it is not Almighty God. We can’t blame God and we cannot get angry with Him. If we turn our backs on God where is our help going to come from? There is so much to pray about all the time and we must not grow weary in our prayer life. We must we vigilant and we must pray without ceasing as the word of God tells us (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God told us what He would do if we (His people) would humble ourselves and pray. God also, told us what He would do if we would seek His face (His way of doing right) and turn from our wicked ways. In Numbers 23:19, God’s word says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” God does not lie and He wants to heal our land. Is He waiting on us to do our part? So, when disasters happen in our world and our personal lives, what are we going to do? Are we going to do God’s word or something else? LORD have mercy on us, Your people, for the times when we didn’t do what You told us to do. Oh, how we need You, LORD! Help us to have genuine concern for one another and pray. LORD, forgive us when we have pity parties and we should be praying. Thank You for Your overwhelming love and compassion for us, Your people. Also, LORD, stir us up to be doers of your word and not hears only, deceiving ourselves (James 1:22). LORD GOD have Your way and turn us into the prayer warriors You desire us to be, so that You will heal our land. Thank You, LORD, for being our GOD that hears and answers our prayers.