Humility Before Honor

Proverbs 15:33 says, “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
In each proverb thoughts are intentionally linked together. Isn’t it interesting that the fear of the Lord, instruction and wisdom are linked together with humility? Many times instruction puffs us up. Not so with the wisdom that comes from knowing and loving God. When we learn of God’s justice, love, mercy, strength and His countless other attributes we should be humbled.

Humility is more than just an attitude though. It is an action. Humility displays itself in the way we treat others. It’s not that we think we ought to serve others, but we actually serve others. Meekness is thinking of others as better than you. This doesn’t mean you’re worthless. It means your find your greatest joy in looking for ways to serve others and then acting on your investigative work. Meekness is the attitude that brings about humility, but humility is more than an attitude – it is an action.

Many of us believe we are humble. Yet, is there evidence to prove this in your life? When was the last time you put your own interest aside and spent time serving your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, your church family? When was the last time you put down the remote and gave your family your undivided attention? When was the last time you gave a gift or sent a card without any desire to be thanked? When was the last time you heard of a need in someone’s life and you secretly met that need without anyone else knowing about it? We all like to think of ourselves as humble, but would there be enough evidence to support your claim?

This type of thinking flies in the face of our nature. Our nature tells us to eat or be eaten. Our nature moves us to be greedy, to hoard, and to think only of ourselves. There must be a change within us for our desire to move away from our self-centered interest and focus on serving others. According to this proverb, this shift only happens in light of the instruction of the Lord. It is there that we learn humility is better than honor. It is there that we learn it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is in this instruction that we learn that the last shall be first. Even if these truths aren’t recognized in this life, they will be in the one to come.

Humility is indeed greater than honor and can only be attained through the instruction of the Lord.

Knowing God

What can be known about God by observing nature? In Barren County we live in a beautiful area that is filled with mysterious caves, beautiful lakes and rivers and intriguing wildlife. Perhaps there are many people that would consider nature to be their sanctuary as its beauty brings hope and encouragement when we admire it.

On the other hand, we’ve experienced the shock of nature’s destruction. We’ve watched in awe as thousands have lost their lives and homes due to terrible earthquakes and resulting floods. It has been overwhelming to see the hopelessness and powerlessness of humanity over this destructive force that leaves us fearing aftershocks and recalculating the rotational axis of the Earth.

Quickly we learn about the creativity and the power of the Designer. We learn that He has a brush with a multitude colors and an imagination more vivid than any of us. We also learn that we are in need of a Protector who can shield us when nature shakes out of control. But does any of this truly help us to know Him?

Indeed, we can know about Him, but He desires more. And, deep down we all desire more. Maybe you’ve found yourself wandering the forest or fishing the shore as you claimed you were connecting with God. While those things are relaxing, they don’t allow us to truly know God. In those places we learn about God, but we don’t come to know Him.

Passages such as Matthew 11:25-30 tell us that ultimately God wants us to know Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible does not say that God reveals Himself to us most clearly in nature, but in the life of Jesus Christ. Passages such as John 3:16 help us realize that if we want to see God’s love fully demonstrated to us we must look to Jesus. We can see God’s love in the world that He has provided for us and in the protection He offers to us in the face of destruction, but we only truly receive His love when we turn to Jesus Christ. Keep nature in its proper place this spring. Enjoy its beauty. Celebrate the new life it represents. But be reminded that nature is only a reflection of its Creator.

Want to be Free from Guilt?

Guilt is heavy. It is a great weight around our necks. Many of us carry guilt for things we have said, done or even wanted to do. We battle these accusations in our mind and wonder if we can ever be free from the shame and the embarrassment that seems to be ever near. Whether anyone else knows of these offenses or not, the guilt is heavy and wants to derail our lives.

Guilt Does Not Surprise God
God knows this. He is not surprised by the affect of our sinful living or thinking. Likewise, it should not be a great surprise to us either, but often it is and we don't know how to deal with it. What brings lasting joy in your life? What brings satisfaction? Isn't that what you want to replace this guilt and shame? Followers of Jesus know that joy comes when we walk with Him. When we are consistently obedient to what Jesus teaches us, and how He directs us to live we are able to be satisfied. Why would we be surprised, then, to find that there is great pain and separation when we try to make our own way. Yet, usually we are surprised. We don't think about the consequences of our actions. We either refuse to follow Jesus or we simply forget. Then, we are grieved and held in the bondage of our guilt and shame. We don't have to live this way.

God Desires for You to Live Blamelessly
In Ephesians 1 we hear that Jesus has come to create for Himself a people that are holy and blameless. They are a people set apart to love God, follow Him and have this liberty and confidence in Christ in their lives. They are a people who are freely forgiven by Jesus and are called to hold this truth dear and apply this freedom to their thinking and living. Jesus knows this freedom because of His obedience to the Father. He knew it when He walked the Earth and He knows it now. He desires to bring you this relief from shame and guilt. He wants to deliver healing and restoration to your heart.

Have you wondered how David carried on after his scandalous sins of adultery and conspiracy to murder? How was David able to move forward and live victoriously for God's glory? Many of us would consider our lives ruined. We would be convinced that God was going to put us on a shelf until we die. Yet, David didn't live this way. Why not? He understood the power and scope of God's forgiveness. He knew he would bear the scars of his sin, but he also knew God would free him from the weight of the shame of his sin. Listen to what he said in Psalm 32,

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly 
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him. 
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

I can think of four "r's" that will help you overcome guilt like David did. Here they are: repentance, recovery, remembering and rejoicing.

Repentance
David acknowledged and confessed his sin to God in verse 5. Relief came when he stopped trying to hide it. Repentance will lead us to make good the wrongs that we have done and to seek the forgiveness we need. It is a difficult step, but it is the first step that must be taken.

Recovery
We need God's forgiveness. God promises to give it. David knew that he had received. In verse 5 we hear him say directly that God had forgiven him. It was no question. It was a statement of fact. He would live in this truth from now on.

Remembering
David proclaimed that God was his strength and hiding place in verse 7. We must be quick to remember that God is our help. He is able to give us the courage and hope we need. If we stop dwelling on this truth...if we forget we will be led to begin looking solely on ourselves, others or something else for strength. We must remember! We must continually remind ourselves (out loud if necessary) that God is our strength and His way of living is best. Then, we must seek His ways in His Word and by joining with His people.

Rejoicing
The great psalmist knew of the pain of hiding his sin and feeling the accompanying guilt and shame. Now he knew forgiveness. Now he knew joy. His song returned. His heart was returned to gratefulness. God delivered him and he could sing again.

It is a process, but you can sing again. God will deliver you when you seek Him. Christ has come to set us free. He has carried our sin and shame, nailed it to the cross and defeated it by overcoming even death. Will you seek His help in throwing off this dead weight of shame and guilt in your life?

Mercy and Faithfulness

This Psalm seems very fitting for the events of this week. We are people in desperate need of God’s mercy. I hope we realize it.

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth
Psalm 57
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4 My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

What Influences You?

Here's the video featuring some thoughts from Ephesians 2. Hope they are helpful to you!

Ephesians Two Overview, Part 1 from Brandon Porter on Vimeo.

Learning to Grieve

Grieving is hard work. If you are not prepared for this work most likely it will be even worse than you can imagine. I don’t think I’ve ever served a grieving family and heard them say, “This is much easier than we thought it was going to be.” I am convinced that if you are going to grieve well, and you should grieve, you must be as prepared as you can be.

When grief comes you will not be able to function in it with exact and meticulous detail because every situation will be different in severity, depth and intensity. However, I believe the Bible clearly lays out a foundation for us to stand on in our times of grief. One place we can learn this pattern is Psalm 102.

A Pattern for Suffering
In Psalm 102 we see David grieve deeply. We’re not exactly sure why, but whatever he is going through is intense. Along with several normal characteristics of grief it would appear that we seem him lose his appetite, suffer from sleeplessness, and even face depression. Yet, in this passage we see him deal with his grief well and God helps us learn how to deal with our own grief as we observe David.

A pattern seems to emerge that helps David move through the grief process in verses 13-22. We’re not sure how long it takes for him to move through this pattern, but it does seem to be consistent both times. The pattern seems to go something like this:
1. David cries out to God declaring His sovereignty and eternal control of life.
2. God hears David and has pity on him.
3. David remembers God’s promises to him and His people.
4. David looks forward to how God will use the current grief to bring good in the future.
Though we don’t actually see these elements lived out in this psalm, in other places we have the opportunity to see God working these things out. Know that God was faithful in keeping the promises He made to David and God did use David’s times of grief to bring about good.

Learning to Grieve Well
How can you apply this pattern? Well, every time I go to the funeral home I am reminded of how feeble I am. My life, just like every life on this planet, will end in death. God is the only one that has the power to conquer death. The redeemed of Christ only receive eternal life with God when it is given to them by Christ. Death should humble us. It should make us realize that God is everlasting and sovereign, and we are not. Not only should we realize it, but it should drive us to worship God as the Supreme Creator of all things. Facing grief should drive us to remember God’s control and to worship Him for it. In addition, focusing on God’s strength should help align true perspective. Often our problems and hurts fall out of perspective. They become bigger than us and even bigger than God. That is a distorted perspective and one that is never true. Death should remind us that we are small and God is big. When viewed correctly, this truth should bring comfort and rest.

The other steps of this pattern strengthen this perspective. By remembering God’s promises we remember His goodness and His holiness. We remember that He has promised His people that He will love them, be near at the time of death and deliver them through death. We find such promises from Jesus in John 14, from God Himself in Psalm 116:15 and in other places such as 1 Thessalonians 4. At the same time we hear of the separation from God that comes when the unrepentant person dies. Jesus’ teaching of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 reinforces this idea and passages like Hebrews 9:27 remind us that just as death is appointed, judgment is as well. In grief we should focus on the promises of God.

Find Joy In a Time of Grief
The believer should find comfort and joy in these promises as they have witnessed God’s faithful work not only in Scripture, but in their own lives as well. It is from God’s faithful work in the past that we also have hope that He will repeat that work in the future. Though the believer cannot be sure how God will use their pain for good, they believe He will. This brings hope. It fuels perseverance and endurance during grief. Psalm 102 teaches us that this hope should even lead to joy as the believer knows God will not waste their pain, but will use it for good in their life and the lives of others.

Grieving is hard work. But hope can be found in it. Grieving will be different for everyone and it can be unpredictable in its effects on a person. However, we can use the basic pattern here and by applying to it our broken hearts find hope in God. What will your perspective be when it is your time to grieve?