GOD WANTS OUR TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON HIM!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 15, 2021.

SUBJECT: GOD WANTS OUR TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON HIM!

Memory verse: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (First Peter 5 vs 7.)

READ: James 4 vs 5 - 6: 

4:5: Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

4:6: But He gives more grace. Therefore He says; “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

INTIMATION:

God is jealous of His own. His jealousy is to have our total attention on Him—make known to Him all things about us at all times. God wants to get involved in everything about us, and whatever we want we should ask from Him. When you want to do it by yourself, or want it your own way, flirting with the world at every chance you get, you are then cheating on God, and eventually end up an enemy of God and His way.

For those of us who may think that God doesn’t care, you are mistaken. God is mindful of us—His creation, and warned that we should have no other God but Him. He said, “...For I the Lord your God am a jealous God...” (Exodus 20 vs 5). God goes against those who are willfully proud to do it their own way, rather than asking from Him. And He gives abundant grace to those who willingly humble themselves to come to Him. He responds to the humble in love, and what He gives is far better than anything you will find or do yourself.

The common definition of grace known to us is "unmerited or undeserved favor.” The study of the passage we read today, reveals that there is so much more to grace then that. The ‘Amplified Version’ Bible of this passage is quite revealing. It says: "Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, ‘The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace (continually) to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)." (James 4 vs 5 - 6.)

It says that grace is the power of the Holy Spirit to meet the evil tendency within us. What evil tendency is James referring to here? The evil tendency is clearly stated In James 4 vs 4 that says; "You are [like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world] and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend to the world takes his stand as an enemy of God." (AMP)

The evil tendency is likened to an unfaithful wife, having illicit love affairs with the world; that is, God’s children turning away from Him, and flirting with the world. It is the tendency of turning away from God and looking up to yourself or to others, rather than simply asking Him to meet our needs. That is a tendency of the flesh, and it is not the way God wants us to react.

The apostle James states that God’s gives us power (His grace) to battle those evil inclinations. He says that in the midst of all our problems and frustrations, God gives us more and more grace, more and more power of the of the Holy Spirit to battle (meet) those evil inclinations (tendencies) fully. That is why God sets Himself against the proud and haughty who think they can handle things on their own without Him, but gives grace continually to the lowly, to those who are humble enough to receive His grace by simply asking for it.

God wants to give us His grace. He wants to give us the power to overcome our wrong motives and intentions, if we will be humble enough to ask for it and receive it rather than trying to handle everything ourselves by our own power and in our own way. Hear what the Scriptures say about the humble, and the proud; "For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance." (Psalm 138 vs 6 AMP.) 

Therefore, humble yourself before the Lord that He may bring you into fellowship with Himself, and receive His grace to overcome your wrong motives and intentions that separate you from Him. In so doing, He will exalt you appropriately in due time: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (First Peter 5 vs 5 - 6.)

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. Humbly obey God regardless of any circumstances, and in His good time He will exalt you. God is willing and able to bless you according to His timing that is ever perfect.

It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let Him help you. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passively. Don’t submit to circumstances but to the Lord, who controls circumstances.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live and move and have my being. Help my unbelief, that I may grow in faith, daily renewing my trust in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!