Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Proverbs 22:4

The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. (ESV)

There are only two ways to live our lives in this world — either we submit ourselves to be the slave of this world or to be the slave of God. The first COMES from pride while the second from humility because of the REVERENCE TO GOD leads to submission to GOD. Paul wrote in the epistle, “19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord“(Romans 6:19-23).

C.S. Lewis, in his book “Mere Christianity,” wrote a great chapter on pride. He made a brilliant observation about biblical humility at the very end of the chapter saying, “If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud.”

We must know that, as humans, we are NOT naturally humble, but we are naturally prideful. The prideful life says to God, “We know better for our lives than God does.” So, we choose our own ways instead of His way. That is ultimate pride in a man’s life. Humility is when we say to God, “I love You, I trust You, my Lord and my God, more than I trust myself. And I know that You love me, You will never forsake me, and You will never make a mistake.” When our love for GOD is greater than our love for this world, we will be able to overcome our pride and learn to humble ourselves before HIM. Our Father in Heaven is real and faithful, HE will reward us – riches and honor and life.

Matthew 6:19-20, “… lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

John10:10b, “…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. “

Pray:

Dear Jesus,
We confess, if we let our pride gets in the way of trusting You and obedience to Your Word. Please, Lord, forgive us!

Please help us, O-Lord, to have humility in our lives. Help us to grow in humility and to grow rightly before You. Please help us to fix our eyes on You with the fear of You and love for You that we may have a proper perspective of ourselves so that we think more about You and others, and think about ourselves less. We pray in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.

Ps. Wallace Ong

xxx

每日灵粮
22/4/20星期三
作者：王振威传道
箴言22:4敬畏耶和华心存谦卑、就得富有、尊荣、生命为赏赐。
在这个世界上我们只有两种生活方式—要么让我们自己成为这个世界的奴隶，要么成为上帝的奴隶。第一种是出自于骄傲，而第二种是出自于谦卑,这是由于对敬畏上帝而产生的顺服。保罗在书信中写道：“ 19我因你们肉体的软弱、就照人的常话对你们说、你们从前怎样将肢体献给不洁不法作奴仆、以至于不法．现今也要照样将肢体献给义作奴仆、以至于成圣．20因为你们作罪之奴仆的时候、就不被义约束了。21你们现今所看为羞耻的事、当日有甚么果子呢．那些事的结局就是死。 22但现今你们既从罪里得了释放、作了　神的奴仆、就有成圣的果子、那结局就是永生。 23因为罪的工价乃是死．惟有　神的恩赐、在我们的主基督耶稣里、乃是永生。（罗马书6：19-23）。

刘易斯（C.S. Lewis）在他的著作《纯粹的基督教》（Mere Christianity）中写了一篇关于骄傲的精彩文章。在本章的最后，他对圣经中的谦卑作了一个美妙的评论，他说：“如果有人想获得谦卑，我想我可以告诉他第一步。第一步就是要意识到每一个人的本性都是骄傲的。”

我们必须知道，作为人类，我们并非天生谦卑，我们的本性是骄傲的。这个骄傲的生命对上帝说：“我们比上帝更了解自己的生活。”因此，我们选择自己的方式而不是祂的方式。这是一个人最大的骄傲。谦卑就是当我们对上帝说：“我爱你，我信任你，我的主我的上帝，比我信任自己更多。并且我知道你爱我，你永远不会抛弃我，你永远不会犯错。”当我们对上帝的爱大于对这个世界的爱时，我们将能够克服我们的骄傲，学会在祂面前谦卑自己。我们的天父是真实和信实的，他会奖赏我们—-富有，尊荣与生命。
马太福音6：19-20，“……只要积攒财宝在天上、天上没有虫子咬、不能锈坏、也没有贼挖窟窿来偷．”
罗马书8:17，“既是儿女、便是后嗣、就是　神的后嗣、和基督同作后嗣．如果我们和他一同受苦、也必和他一同得荣耀。”
约翰福音10：10b，“……我来了、是要叫羊〔或作人〕得生命、并且得的更丰盛。 “

祈祷：
亲爱的耶稣，
我们承认，如果我们让我们的骄傲阻碍了对你的信任和对你话语的顺服。主啊，请原谅我们！

主啊，请帮助我们在生活中懂得谦卑。帮助我们在你面前学习谦卑与公义。请帮助我们注目于你，让我们存着敬畏及爱你的心，让我们能够更多的为你及为他人着想，而更少考虑自己。我们奉耶稣的宝贵名字祷告。阿们。

陈月妃译