Good day dear friends.
Our text for today comes from 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
I had the special privilege of speaking at a men's retreat for Manchaca UMC at John Knox Camp outside of Wimberley on Friday and Saturday. It was a great time sharing with brothers in the faith, especially some young brothers. Pastor Steven Sweet, a dear friend and true brother in Christ Jesus, invited me to go and speak about the Christian life and I believe I left more blessed than I hoped to bless them.
One verse that I made mention to is the text for today. It is a verse that applies both to men and women, and contains an attitude for servant living.
If you look at it, here are the key points:
If you look at it, here are the key points:
1. We should approach God with a humble attitude. God is everything and we are His and as we come to Him, we should be open, listening, and loving towards our Heavenly Father.
2. This attitude of humility will result in God lifting us up when it is time. No one should come before the throne of God thinking we deserve anything, we don't. We come before God's throne because God loves us and we come to be loved.
3. God is a listening, caring God. We can, through prayer, "cast our anxieties" on God because of the care and protection God offers to us. There is no need to carry around the weight of worry when we can give it to God to carry for us.
4. We need to maintain a discipline and alertness before God of spiritual things. This includes our prayer life, our devotional life, our willingness to study God's Word, to worship God, and to seek to learn more about all God has to offer us. You'll see in the next one why this is imporant.
5. We can very easily become the prey of the devil. From experience the writer shares how easily one can fall victim to the wiles of the devil. Probably not that the writer himself may have fallen, but being an overseer in the faith he had probably seen more than his share of those for whom he cared, fall victim to temptation.
6. We must resist, standing firm in our faith. What we have learned as truth we must hold to. I shared in my sermon yesterday the story of C.C. McCabe who boarded a train in the days of the Old West and found a newspaper headline that said "Churches Across America Are Dying." McCabe read the article and it was an interview with an agnostic Robert Ingersoll, who said America would be better off when the last one closed. McCabe got off at the next stop and fired off a telegram to Ingersoll with the message, "All hail the power of Jesus' Name! We're building more that one new Methodist Church every day of the year and propose to make it soon two a day." What a way to resist!
7. We are not alone, not even in our suffering. Every Christian suffers. Some trials are unexpected and of the kind one would not wish on his/her worst enemy, but we stand firm in our faith, knowing God is with us and our brothers and sisters are with us. Pray for one another. Even for folks you don't know! Just lift up the saints who are suffering for the sake of Christ.
8. Our trials and suffering will not last a long time. In God's time, the Word promises we will be restored, supported, strengthened, and established.
9. Worship God! Amen!
PRAYER: Loving God, we lift You up in our hearts, minds, and spirits. Yours is the power and glory and the kingdom for ever. Remember us today with our needs and joys. Let our lives give steady witness to others, especially those who do not yet know, or who have forgotten. We pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
