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St. Paul School of Leadership & Discipleship Lesson 238 - WHOM GOD DELIGHTS TO USE! (Proverbs: "The Get Smart Book") By Frank Eiklor and the Shalom Team “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.” Proverbs 15:33 Once again we have the strongest theme of the Proverbs that is to be sought and embraced at any cost – the reverential fear of the Lord. For only our being swallowed up in God’s greatness can self be cut down to the size of the Cross – where it is to remain dead. And only then can the Spirit of God truly use us for His purposes without our getting puffed up over honors that will be given us but are really meant for the One living within us. God delights in using the humble vessel, because such a one will not glory in being used, but only glory in the Cross. But who is really humble? And what is the cost of humility? When we think we’re at our “humble stage” we become proud of it. And the word “humble” is really a part of another word – “humiliation.” In all truth, that has usually been God’s way to bring about any humility in my own life. How do I take rebuke from people, whether such be just or unjust? How do I accept correction from others, whether they are 3 years old or 93 years old? Like when my daughter was three. She caught me not living what I preached and said, “Daddy, you’re a hycoprick!” though she couldn’t pronounce the word, I knew what she meant and had to repent – before a three-year-old! I can guarantee you that the more the Lord uses you, the more He will keep you broken. That’s because those whom God calls us to help or bless will generally thank us. But we didn’t do anything! God did it through us! And so, while we say a gracious “Thank you” for any visible honors that come our way, we quickly pass them invisibly to the rightful owner who is The Way. “Before honor is humility,” and the price of humility is suffering. Don’t be surprised! My prayer: ”I leave any honors up to You, my loving Father. Knit the humility of Jesus into the fabric of my life, though I know that will not be without pain.” "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1) Related Articles · More Articles Jesus said many would come in His name and deceive the hearts of the simple, sinful and proud. Eastern mysticism and meditation is a big thing in the gullible West. And one day a “world leader” will appear on the scene with the persuasion of a god and the heart of a devil. Jesus warns His children to know the Scriptures, live in obedience to the Father’s will, and stay alert to the signs of the times. They laugh no more. Now God’s description of how He will destroy the old earth and create a
new one makes perfect sense. The splitting of the atom turned many skeptics into believers.
After all, look what man himself is capable of doing with the atom and hydrogen bombs. Now
the fear is that nuclear weapons are being placed in the hands of madmen who wish to annihilate
their enemies. God has blessed man with incredible genius. We stand in awe as we watch men and women in a room full of computers and high-tech instruments guiding and landing spacecraft on distant planets. At that moment, we appear invincible. But then a mammoth tornado comes—or a terrifying hurricane—or rains that flood whole regions and never listen to our shouts to “Stop!”—or the shake that removes from under our feet any confidence or pride we carry, and leaves us numb with hardly enough breath to even utter the paralyzing word “EARTHQUAKE!”. And man is helpless in the face of it all! |
