I was driving home the other day and found myself behind this semi.IMG_2403

At the same time, I was listening to Joyce Meyer on a CD, and she was talking about pride.

I had to snap a picture!! (Riding with me may not always be the safest experience. Smile)

This morning I was reading about Saul’s decisions as king of Israel.

So many times he made choices based more on pride than on God’s will.

Samuel would tell Saul exactly what God wanted him to do, and then Saul would choose to do things just a little differently in order to gain favor with the people or to look more righteous than he really was.

As I was reading, I found myself wondering how often I do the very same thing.

I am definitely a people pleaser.

I always have been.

Sadly, I can remember figuring out what it took to become camper of the week when I was a young girl at church camp and then spending my whole week trying to have the neatest bunk, be the best encourager, and memorize the most Scriptures.  I look back and wonder what my motive really was……..did I want to please God or man?  Did I just want a trophy?

Today, as an adult, I find myself asking the same question.

Do I get up early so that I can truly have quiet time with God or do I get up early so that I can write blog posts?

I don’t ever want to get so caught up in people-pleasing that I lost sight of pleasing God.

I don’t think Saul began his career with the wrong kind of heart, but I do think he became consumed with more than God’s will along the way.

Humility wasn’t one of Saul’s best attributes.

Asking God to keep our heart humble is a scary kind-of prayer.

You never know what will happen when you pray a prayer like that, and God has definitely humbled me many times throughout my life.

But here’s the thing:

Pride Transport will take us nowhere in the eyes of God.

He is Lord.

He is King.

He is Master.

He is our strength.

He is our hope.

All other ground is sinking sand.

He deserves ALL the glory.

When we put our hope and strength in our own abilities, we start sinking quickly.

Human nature makes it easy to think that we can make it in this world “on our own,” but deep inside I believe we all know that will never work.

Who do you lean on today?

Where is your strength coming from?

Why do you make the choices you do?

Where is your hope?

I’m praying that we all can put our hope in Christ alone.

 

In Christ Alone

Songwriters: Getty, Julian Keith; Townend, Stuart Richard;

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live
There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand
I will stand, I will stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground, all other ground
Is sinking sand, is sinking sand
So I stand

[- From :http://www.elyrics.net/read/n/natalie-grant-lyrics/in-christ-alone-lyrics.html -]

Praying for all of you today,