{"id":929,"date":"2009-12-17T06:00:51","date_gmt":"2009-12-17T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devonline.us\/dailyevotional\/?p=929"},"modified":"2009-12-16T12:49:51","modified_gmt":"2009-12-16T19:49:51","slug":"an-outstretched-neck-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/an-outstretched-neck-2\/","title":{"rendered":"AN OUTSTRETCHED NECK!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psalm 75:4-5<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTo the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.\u00a0 Do not lift up your horns\u00a0against heaven; do not speak with an outstretched neck.\u2019 \u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

What an unusual phrase; “- – an outstretched neck.”<\/span>\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>It is rendered that way in the New International Version of the Bible.\u00a0 In the King James Version it is “- – a stiff neck.”<\/span>\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>In the New American Standard it is “- – an insolent pride.”<\/span> <\/em><\/strong>In the first two versions we have a word picture, while in the NASB we find more of a definition.<\/p>\n

One of the places where we see the display of insolent pride is during sporting events.\u00a0 Not always, but frequently we observe athletes with outstretched necks parading back and forth like proud peacocks.\u00a0 It has become common enough that penalties are often assessed because it is described as taunting.<\/p>\n

But that is nothing compared to the picture of those arrogant boasters who, in their pride, stand opposed to God.\u00a0 These people may claim to be wise, but wisdom is in their own eyes and God will have the last word.\u00a0 Oh, how much better it would be if they would turn from their arrogance and honor God.<\/p>\n

From time to time a story is passed around the Internet about an atheistic college professor who seemed to delight in demeaning any student professing faith in Jesus Christ.\u00a0 One student was adamant about her faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ.\u00a0 It was a simple faith, and she did not make an issue of it, but it affected her whole life.<\/p>\n

One day this teacher thought of a way to humiliate this girl and at the same time demonstrate his atheistic position.\u00a0 He told her to go to the window and then asked, “Mary, look all around. Do you see the flowers and grass and trees?”\u00a0 Mary responded that she did.\u00a0 \u201cDo you see God anywhere?”\u00a0 Mary answered, “No.”\u00a0 He then asked her to look up into the sky.\u00a0 He asked her, “Mary, do you see God in the sky?”\u00a0 Again\u00a0Mary answered, “No.” \u00a0<\/p>\n

When Mary had returned to her seat, the teacher smiled smugly (with an \u201coutstretched neck\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong>) and said, “You see class, we have just proved that there is no God!”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mary raised her hand and asked to speak.\u00a0 The arrogant teacher granted her request.\u00a0 Mary called to Ted, a boy who was seated in the first row.\u00a0 “Ted,” she said, “Do you see our teacher, Mr. Smith?”\u00a0 Ted answered that he did.\u00a0 Mary then asked, \u201cTed, do you see Mr. Smith’s brain?”\u00a0 Ted said, “No.”\u00a0 Mary smiled to Mr. Smith and quietly asked, “Have we just proven that you do not have a brain?”\u00a0 Mr. Smith hurriedly gave the class the next-day\u2019s assignment and never tried such a stunt again.<\/p>\n

A silly story?\u00a0 Yes it is.\u00a0 But it is no more silly than the people with pompous attitudes toward God.\u00a0 They seem to feel that their rejection of God proves that there is no God.\u00a0 How ridiculous.\u00a0 It only proves that they do not believe in God!\u00a0<\/p>\n

But wait!\u00a0 What about\u00a0those who\u00a0believe in God but have never entered into a personal experience with Him?\u00a0 I am sad to say that there are those believers who also stretch out their necks in pride and arrogance.\u00a0 They rely on themselves rather than trusting in the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0In their pride they call upon God only when they get into trouble.<\/p>\n

Let me close for today with this passage in Proverbs 3:5-6, which is the best way to steer clear of\u00a0having an outstretched neck \u2014\u00a0“Trust in the LORD<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;\u00a0in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0– – – Pastor Cecil<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Psalm 75:4-5 \u201cTo the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.\u00a0 Do not lift up your horns\u00a0against heaven; do not speak with an outstretched neck.\u2019 \u201d\u00a0 What an unusual phrase; “- – an outstretched neck.”\u00a0 It is rendered that way in the New International Version of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyevotional.com\/prior2020\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}