LET MY WORDS BE FEW

THANKSGIVING CHRISTMAS 2009
With Love and Peace and Thanks, Leeanna Porter
Early this morning, I awoke from a dream where God was telling me something I felt was meant for everyone who will believe. He said that when we give Him thanks, it is at that very instant that the atomic power of God explodes towards us in blessing. I could actually see the thanksgiving rising up to God and, simultaneously, the atomic power of God exploding down like lightning fire. As I pondered this amazing vision, I believe the Spirit of the Lord was imparting faith and a supernatural ability to believe Him and to try Him at His Word.
My prayer for 2010 is that in every circumstance and in every situation, we would remember this vision, practice giving Him prayers of thanksgiving and begin to watch His atomic power explode towards us in response.
2Thessalonians 1:11-12 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power. 2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Hebrews 1:1-4 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. Hebakkuk 3:3-4 God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power. Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. Dan 2:20 Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. Dan 2:23 "To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For You have given me wisdom and power; Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You, For You have made known to us the king's matter."Jer 32:17 'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, Jer 16:20-21 Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods! "Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-- This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD." Pro 8:14 "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. Rev 11:17 saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. Rev 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." Rev 5:12 saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Rev 7:12 saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Hi Friend,
I have to say, I didn't know you had another friend except for me (ha,ha!! That's a JOKE, just kiddin' ya!!)....You are an amazing woman, very special (not special like Walmart Special; special like Imported Fine Crystal intertwined with Jerusalem Clay Pottery Sculpture Special)... You say you think you are ordinary and had an ordinary life, well, I can only compare yours with mine. My mom also sewed for me. Everything I wore up until 9th grade was handmade. Even my winter coats were created by hand. I used to dream of store-bought clothes like my peers wore! My mom sewed my clothes during the night hours because her day job was being a seamstress to ladies like Eleanor Warren, as in the Warren Brothers Lumber Company in Beaumont, Texas. I know, impressive, right?! Funny how you always know the right subjects to bring up to remind us of how "special" our childhoods were. The unhappy parts of our childhoods and what we came to believe about ourselves because of them, made us who we are today. Our choices over what we came to believe (lies) about ourselves because of those events have driven our emotions like an electric locomotive on a straight path to nowhere. But there is always hope to change that path when we choose to revisit those painful places and root out the lies and replace them with truth. Someone once told me "people can't change". I strongly disagree. I have changed A LOT...well maybe I should agree with that person and say I didn't change anything, God changed me as I yielded myself to truth. I thank God for my opportunities to have a conversation with Him when these old memories trigger sadness or other negative emotions. I think I will go have a conversation with God right now! Thank you for always challenging our hearts and minds and NO, you are no where close to ordinary my friend....no where close!

I had a private memorial service for a sweet, baby bunny rabbit today. I had just noticed it in my yard two days ago, as my 6 month old twin yorkie babies were frantically chasing it around the yard. In and out of the flower garden and right up to the border of the briar patches (bougainvillas) they sprinted until all three were completely out of breath. Bear & Bella were delighted with their new "toy". Only I knew this was no toy and this little creature needed to stay in the briar bushes where the yorkies wouldn't go. The yorkies had already been practicing the chase with the baby bunny's parents for weeks. I saw one of those parents on Sunday afternoon. It was chased out of the flowers by the twins. With Bear & Bella hot on his tail, the rabbit crashed right through an opening about 1 1/2 inches in width!!! I was amazed at what I had just seen...the courage and the faith that rabbit had to run, crashing, right into that tiny opening without any hesitation! Now I am sure this rabbit had done this deed many other times in haste, but it was the first time I had ever seen such a feat. That rabbit weighed at least 5 pounds and was as wide and tall as my biggest yorkie. It seemed impossible to me that it could get through that opening...but he didn't have my lack of faith. But back to the memorial service today. I was on the phone rejoicing with a dear friend over a great victory she had in a certain matter, when I heard all the commotion outside. I don't know if my yorkies scared that baby bunny to death or if it died some other way, but they were viciously fighting each other over who would get to play with the now deceased "toy". I had to pull them apart with all my strength as they were deeply engaged in harming each other. I prayed out loud, "Lord, don't let them bite ME in their ferver". They didn't bite me and for that I was thankful...for me AND for them, if you know what I mean. After I got the twins into the house, I went back out to the bunny. It was frozen stiff in a sprinting position with its eyes still open. It broke my heart. It looked like it was still alive, so much so that I had to get down and poke it to make sure. I went inside to find a suitable burial box and found just the right one. Then, of course, I had to find flowers, which I did. Pretty ones, blue daze, knock-out red roses, and some golden orange ones that I can never remember the name of. Then I wrote out a prayer to God. It was actually a prayer of praise and victory. Victory because I believe that bunny will live again, because I care and because I asked God for that. One day, in the 1000-year reign of Christ on earth, the lion will lay with the lamb and I just imagine the yorkie will cuddle with the bunny as well. I hope my yorkies cuddle with this bunny and, in doggie talk, tell it how sorry they were to frighten it so and treat it like an inanimate toy. But that is really stretching the faith! What I realized from this event today is that life has its ups and downs--great moments of victorious shouting and praising and singing over some great and marvelous things, which can quickly, in an instant, turn into great mourning and sadness over the death of a sweet, innocent thing. But I also realized that perspectives can be a choice and in that moment, I chose to rejoice. I found a way to praise God. I praised Him because I was able to see faith lived out by its parents in crashing through an impossibly small opening. I praised Him because He showed me life can be like that...we are offered a way of escape from what is trying to beat us down or take us out and we just have to have the courage to bust through that opening no matter how impossible it seems. We have others who have gone before us and who have shown us the way it can be done. We can follow their example or, we can try it our way...the way the baby bunny did...making ourselves vulnerable to our own inexperience and maybe even prideful self-success. I praised Him because I realized that unless we follow the example of our mentors and elders who have walked this way before and succeeded, we will find ourselves trying to do it our way, the inexperienced way, the way that only leads to destruction and death of a dream and, sometimes, sadly, even loss of a sweet, precious life. My vison is a little clearer tonight because I had a private memorial service today.

I remember reading a book once called The Weigh Down Diet. Although I choose not to eat all the foods she talks about right now, there is so much good advice and tips in it. I remember that the book said to eat whatever you want, (or for some of us, whatever is on our eating plan), but small portions and usually only half of what you would normally eat. Like when you go to a restaurant, immediately ask for a "to go" box and divide your food in half. Then, with the food that is left on your plate, immediately rate each food. Like give the meat a #1 and the peas a #2, etc and eat accordingly...she said in the book to distinguish between head hunger and real hunger and always be tuned in to what your body is really asking for. Head hunger is just the flesh wanting its own way. Real hunger produces a growl or pain in the stomach and usually will only occur once or twice a day UNLESS you discipline yourself to eat very small portions. She said to eat very slowly (if you have m&m's for instance, eat ONE at a time and savor it) and think about each bite and how it relates to the real hunger. The minute you are no longer feeling the growl or pain, and are satisfied that you are no longer truly hungry, then at that moment stop eating. There will always be another meal or you can take the rest of the meal home for later. The lie we believe is that we will never have another meal like the one we are presently eating...or we will never get to taste wedding cake again, etc., etc. But those are just lies...the truth is, once we reach our goals...we could go to the bakery and order a wedding cake if we wanted to! Let's stop believing the lies and falling for the desires of the flesh. It is in opposition to what we really want--a healthy body and to succeed in our goals. We can do this!

Just read this quote from a SparkPeople article: If you chase two rabbits, both will escape--Unknown Author. We can't have it both ways. Either we chase our goals or we chase what our flesh desires. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak, and the rabbits are multiplying! It was a hard 2nd/3rd week, so far, with entertaining elderly relatives on the road and staying in hotels and visiting the hospital patient. The greatest challenge was having to explain why I won't try this or that at every meal. Each meal was a "rabbit to choose". I could have not eaten anything at all for breakfast, I suppose, (none of the choices were on my plan); but the lesser of two evils was to choose rice krispies and milk. I am glad to be home now, where the rabbits are not so wild.

Isn't it strange that the first real choice man had to make involved food? Adam didn't assume responsibility for his choice, "It was that woman you gave me that made me do it". Eve basically said, "The devil made me do it"; and that old serpent "didn't have a leg to stand on". What has been my excuse for not taking charge of my health/weight issues? What is the pay-off, reward, or benefit that I receive by not changing my lifestyle? Which food choices (any choices, really) are based more on selfishness than on love? Adam and Eve believed a lie and made the wrong food choice. What lie do I believe about the food choices I make? Satan told Eve, "Did God really say...?" What is it that God has said to me about my food choices and do I believe Him? Keep in mind, I only believe the parts that I obey. Today I will stop making excuses. I will be honest, starting with God. I commit to live in God's truth and know that it is His truth that can set me free. 2 Peter 2:2 says, "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." My body is valuable to God because it is where He dwells! I will honor God when I make right food choices. I choose to live as God's friend and not His enemy. Philippians 3:18-19 says, "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Whatever my mind continually dwells on and whatever controls me can become a "god" to me. Since nothing is hidden from God--I choose to walk according to His ways. The lie of the devil is, "You have failed before and you will fail again." The truth of God is, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3. I choose to believe the report of the LORD about me and about my plans. I will keep my eyes on the prize!

Isn't it so true that anger entices us do things we don't want to do? It is like, "I will show you! I will go hurt myself!!" I recently wrote a little book on how to be free of unforgiveness and offenses. In it, I included a profound quote that has changed my perspective, "Bitterness is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die". How crazy would that be? But it is exactly what we do when we choose to hold bitterness in our hearts and unforgiveness. One of the biggest lies we believe, as humans, is that we can't be happy or live at peace, unless the other person changes their bad behavior. If that is true, then when will we ever be free? We cannot make anyone change. We can only control our own behavior. I hope that we will be able to see the value in ourselves and in our goals and that we won't allow someone else to steal our joy and peace. Next time we are tempted to allow someone else's mean words to blow our goals, may we be able to laugh and shrug it off just like when we were kids and we would say, "I'm the rubber, you're the glue; bounce off me and stick to you!"

I needed a Scripture to encourage myself today. Sometimes we just have to go out and seek that encouragment and I sought it in the Word of God. This Scripture puts me back into perspective. I was tempted many times this morning to eat something not on my plan. I heard things like "you need this or that". What a lie. By God's grace and His Word, and by His power, I was able to resist. Thank you Jesus! I hope this helps even one other person today!

Php 3:12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
Php 3:13 Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
Php 3:14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
Php 3:15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.
Php 3:16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
Php 3:17 Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.
Php 3:18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross.
Php 3:19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.
Php 3:20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.
Php 3:21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule

This is my "few words" response to the question I was just asked:
"Why don’t we spend one hour per day studying God’s Word?"
This is my personal opinion, based on my own Journey experiences.

1. First, I believe, we need a love relationship with Jesus that is inspired and fueled by the Holy Spirit. Martha worked hard for Jesus and wanted Mary to do the same. Mary chose the better part, to sit silently at Jesus’ feet and soak up His words, because she was in love with Him. Forgiven much, she loved much and spent limitless time in His presence, undisturbed by her sister’s judgments against her. (WE NEED A GENUINE LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS)

2. God draws us to himself with cords of love and when we know he loves us, we supernaturally long to know Him better through His Word. Our new Husband does not have to command us to study Him; we study Him because we love Him, we feel safe with Him, and because we KNOW He loves us. If we did not feel loved by Him, if we did not have grateful, thankful hearts for all He has done for us, we would not feel inclined to study Him or please Him. (WE NEED TO KNOW OUR HUSBAND LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY AND HAS SACRIFICIALLY GIVEN HIMSELF FOR US)

3. There is therefore now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Praise our Living God, we are no longer under the cruel, hard taskmaster called Law, who bids us to conform to ordinances and pressures to perform to someone else’s standards, or to earn our acceptance in the Beloved, but we are set free to live and move and have our being in Jesus—we are in Him and He is in us. There remains therefore a rest for us as the people of God. For we who have entered His rest have also ceased from our works as God did from His. (WE NEED TO KNOW THE WORD WAS NOT SENT TO CONDEMN US; EVERY WORD GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US IS BECAUSE HE LOVES US; AND, OUR ACCEPTANCE IN THE BELOVED IS BASED ON LIFE NOT LAW)

Love is not just a warm,fuzzy glow or words we print on a page. Love is not even what we say. Love is a verb; it is an action word, it is something we DO. I would rather see love, than hear love, any day. I saw love today in a paper cup. It was a cappacino made just like I like it, because the one who gave it to me listens with her heart when I talk. I saw love today when I got the best thank you note ever written to a mother. I saw love today in laundry, folded just like I like it, which I didn't do, laying neatly on top of my dryer. I saw love today as two different friends shared their God-dreams about me and were willing to pray for me. I saw love today in action; it gave me a warm, fuzzy glow.

Love is not something you feel. It's something you do.
- David Wilkerson

When you're in the grip of frustration, love can seem pretty much out of the question. Care is going to be a stretch. But appreciation is easy—even if it starts out kind of snide like, "I appreciate the fact I haven't fallen flat on my face ... yet." After a couple of stabs at it, you're going to stumble across one that sincerely touches you. Maybe it's your friends, your partner, your loved ones. One strong dose of appreciation can turn your perceptions around 180 degrees.
- Doc Childre and Howard Martin

After the verb 'to love', 'to help' is the most beautiful verb in the world.
- Bertha Von Suttner

Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.
- Og Mandino

It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.
-Richard Braunstien

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.
- St. Augustine

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another give it ease, and build a Heaven in Hell's despair.
- William Blake

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.
- Jesus

THE QUESTION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
-by David Ryser.

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship;
it moved to Greece and became a philosophy;
it moved to Italy and became an institution;
it moved to Europe and became a culture;
it came to America and became an enterprise.

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old--barely out of
diapers--and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding, "An enterprise. That's a business."

After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class,
raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I
thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had
performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha's
raised hand, "Yes, Martha." She asked such a simple question, "A business? But isn't it supposed to be a body?"

I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the
only response I could think of was, "Yes."

She continued, "But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were on holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was,"Wow, I wish I'd thought of that." I didn't dare express that thought aloud. God had taken over the class. Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

There is only one answer to her question. The answer is "Yes."

The American Church, tragically, is heavily populated by people who
do not love God. How can we love Him? We don't even know Him;
and I mean really know Him.I stand by my statement that most American Christians do not know God--much less love Him. The root of this condition originates in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because of what we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as long as we can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business, merchandising His anointing.

This should not be. We are commanded to love God, and are called
to be the Bride of Christ---that's pretty intimate stuff. We are supposed
to be His lovers. How can we love someone we don't even know? And
even if we do know someone, is that a guarantee that we truly love
them? Are we lovers or prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha's question again one day, and considered the question, "What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?" I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, "What would happen if God stopped paying me?"

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover my motives for loving and serving Him.

Was I really a true lover of God?
What would happen if He stopped blessing me?
What if He never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him?

Please understand---I believe in the promises and blessings of God.The issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is the condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any conditions?

It took several months to work through these questions. Even now I
wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by my attitude
and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed with God and
angry that He has not met some perceived need in my life. I suspect
this is something which is never fully resolved, but I want more than
anything else to be a true lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we---lover or prostitute?
There are no prostitutes in heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for that matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both places. Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no substitute for unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I mean there is no palatable substitute available to us (take another look at Matthew 7:21-23 sometime).

We must choose.

Dr. David Ryser

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." ~ 1 Pet.1:14-16

Thanking God for not giving into my tantrums

Cross-stitched life, observed from the underside.

My thoughts on The Cross? So glad you asked, Carly!
Here it is, in one sentence:

The Great I AM

Who knew me before He created the world;

Planned for my redemption,while I was yet a sinner,even born of a sinner;

By leaving His Lofty, Royal Throne and lowering Himself to be born as a helpless human infant, of a virgin, no less;

Because only a blood relative, a Kinsman-redeemer, can purchase another person from slavery;

And I was indeed in slavery, to sin, and in need of this Kinsman-Redeemer;

So, the Great I AM crashed into this world of sin-sick humanity, of whom I am chief, and loved not His own life, even unto death, even death on a cross;

To pay my debt owed to God, which debt was death;

For all have sinned and fallen far short of the glory of God;

And because the only just and right penalty of sin is death;

By the shedding of His own blood, for only the pure spotless blood of a lamb can atone for this type of sin, for life is in the blood;

The Great I Am, came down to planet Earth, born as the
Lamb of God,
as the Son of man,
for the sole purpose of death for my sin, even yours, even death on a cross--the most humiliating kind;

With His human flesh exposed for all the world to see, for me, for you;

Willingly giving His UNIQUE life, that I might live, and you also, if only we BELIEVE,
And I do,

Not only that, but hallelujah, the cross is empty, as He was resurrected on the Third Day;

Just as He promised His disciples, just as was prophesied hundreds of years prior to His miraculous birth, which was also prophesied;

And because of this cross, and because I choose to believe in what He did for me;

I died with Him, was resurrected to newness of life, became a new creature, resulting in the fact that it is now no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;

Putting my fear of death to death, even the sting of death and hell, because Jesus tasted death for me, even for you;

By the simple act of taking Him at His Word, and believing that He did it for me, not because I was good enough or worked hard at pleasing Him or any other useless thing on my part, but that it was ALL His doing, and nothing that I did to merit His lovingkindness towards me, who deserved death and hell for my acts of disobedience;

Just believing and accepting His work on the cross was done for me, because He loved me and not because I deserved it, but just because of His great and mysterious unconditional love for me; because all that is good originate in Him;

Knowing that everything is from Him and for Him and back to Him, even me;

All because of that beautiful act of His obedience to our Father,

ON THE CROSS!

Now, what are YOUR thoughts?

This is taken from my daily inductive devotional, dated February 8, 1 Corinthians 13:4b. I hope you enjoy it.

WORD STUDIES

Love: #26 Greek (agape)
To love; the love that originates from God; the kind of love that is inclined to do good, kind, charitable acts. When speaking of God’s love for man, it means that God does what is best for mankind not necessarily what man wants. For example, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” The Greeks have more than our one word for love. Phileo speaks of the love between friends; eros is the love a man has for a woman, an adoring love. God showed His love for man by giving what he needed for salvation: His own Son’s life. That is agape love; benevolent love.


Arrogant: #5448 Greek (phusioo)
To inflate, breathe. To blow or puff up with pride or conceit so as to elevate oneself above another. Unwarranted pride, haughtiness.


CROSS-REFERENCES

Psalm 119:21
Thou dost rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, who wander from Thy commandments.

Proverbs 14:21
A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.

Proverbs 28:25-26
An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.

1 Corinthians 4:4-7
For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

OBSERVATION AND APPLICATION

1. Dear child of God, have you ever seen a hot air balloon? It is so full of itself, isn’t it? It is a funny analogy of one who is arrogant; it is puffed up with its own hot air! That is exactly what arrogance is—hot air! Isaiah 37:29 tells you that your arrogance rises to the ears of God; just like a hot air balloon. Ask the Lord to take His big sharp-pointed sword and pop your arrogant balloon! See that balloon release the hot air and humbly float back to earth. Pride is the machine that puffs you up with arrogance. Knowing that everything you are and have is a gift from God humbles you and keeps you ‘well-grounded’.



2. Where is your balloon today? Is it on the ground or soaring somewhere high in the sky?




1. Spend the remainder of your devotion time pondering this truth. Let the Lord minister to you. Allow the love of God to inflate you!