Job 38:1-2
“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: ‘Who is this that obscures My plans with words without knowledge?’”
Sometimes we, like Job, spend too much time dwelling on our misfortunes instead of asking the Lord to show us the plans He has for us. Paul learned that the Lord allowed his “thorn in the flesh” to remain in order to teach him to be used of God in the midst of his pain.
I have always enjoyed the comic strip Hagar the Horrible by Chris Browne. Years ago Chris depicted Hagar standing on the top of a high mountain peak with his battered old sword raised high over his head. There high aloft the mere mortals below, Hagar declared that he had reached the top after all of these years!
Hagar declares that this is what every man wants, but he is the only one to have achieved! He proclaims: “I am invincible! I am indestructible! No one can challenge me! I am the greatest! I’m number one!” Suddenly a bolt of lightning flashes and thunder rumbles. Hagar ducks, looks toward heaven and meekly asks, “Okay — how about the second greatest?”
Pride goes before a fall. When subjected to proud boasts, the only one who is impressed is the braggart. Humility is our constant awareness of our need of the Lord at all times in our life, not just in the emergencies.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil