Three Truths

"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6-10 (NKJV)

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is a question made famous by Art Linkletter and often asked to children. If you were to ask my brother that question when he was in first grade he would have sincerely answered, "A Squirrel." Here is the point--children grow up into something, and that something will be determined by the decisions that they make. The choices that are made will have a profound effect on the quality of life in the here and now, as well as eternal implications.

In a short few verses, James rattles off three mind-blowing truths that have a huge impact on life. Three truths that set the direction of destiny in one's life. Here they are:

• God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
• Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. 

If we take these truths seriously--and we should--we need to carefully examine our hearts and make an honest evaluation of ourselves. Here is what I take home from these challenging truths:

1. I cannot afford to be proud. If God is set against me, because of my pride, life will be more difficult by a large measure. 
2. I can always reach God. Our God is not the god of Bette Midler's, "At a Distance." Jesus was God in the flesh--the Holy Spirit is God in you. If you are spiritually hungry, you can and will be filled!
3. If I humble myself--submitting my life to God--He will, in His perfect timing and according to His perfect will, put me into the places of influence where He wants me to make a difference. 

Although I wish that I had taken these truths more seriously as a young man, it is never too late with God. The question remains--from this day forward will walk in the light of these truths allowing God to bless my life, or will I continue to live life "my way?" Let us hope that I have learned my lesson by now!

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, strange are the creatures of Your creation. We know--absolutely know the way we should live, only to fall short. We are logical beings and yet we often act in illogical ways. We need to be rescued from ourselves! Thank You for sending Jesus to save me. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live in me. You have given me the power to overcome the sickness of sin and no chain of behavior is too great for You to break. You have my gratitude! Blessed be the name of the Lord!! Amen"