AMEN

Jesus is Yea and Amen in all his offices. He was a Priest to pardon and cleanse once, he is Amen as Priest still. He was a King to rule and reign for his people, and to defend them with his mighty arm, he is an Amen King, the same still. He was a Prophet of old, to foretell good things to come, his lips are most sweet, and drop with honey still—he is an Amen Prophet. He is Amen as to the merit of his blood; he is Amen as to his righteousness. That sacred robe shall remain most fair and glorious when nature shall decay. He is Amen in every single title which he bears; your Husband, never seeking a divorce; your Friend, sticking closer than a brother; your Shepherd, with you in death’s dark vale; your Help and your Deliverer; your Castle and your High Tower; the Horn of your strength, your confidence, your joy, your all in all, and your Yea and Amen in all.
(Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, April 19)

Revelation 3:14 “The Amen”

All I have to add is AMEN!

Psalm 97:10a

O You

who love the LORD,

HATE evil!

Oh Lord, why do I dabble with sin and flirt with evil? Oh if it weren't for your grace and your steadfast love and your righteousness that I am a slave to, I would fall headlong into sin. Help me! Keep me from sin! Help me to hate what you hate and love what you love!

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust (OR SPILLED COFFEE) can destroy and where thieves and break in and steal, BUT lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust (OR SPILLED COFFEE) destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO!" Matthew 6: 19-21

Mark's sermon on this passage motivated me to ponder on where my treasures are.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my gadgets! I LOVE LOVE LOVE technology! Love my laptop, love my iPod, love my Blackberry, love my HD TV.. etc etc... After Sunday's sermon I thought to myself, that although I love these things I "think" i'd be okay if they were gone.

Well... God put me to the test this week. On Tuesday my Blackberry stopped sending and receiving emails. I tried to fix it to no avail, so I brought it to the local ATT store and they tried with no success. They called the Techies at Blackberry and they tried to remotely fix it.. NOPE. They determined that it was the device that was broken and could not be repaired. I pretty much spent half the day at ATT! The young girl who was helping me at ATT was very apologetic saying that she knows how important cell phones and particulary blackberries are to people. I smiled at her and said, "Ya know what? if this is the worst thing that happens to me today then I am a very blessed woman." She looked at me and said, "WOW! That is a great attitude." And then they gave me a new phone FOR FREE! We discovered it was still under warrenty. I didn't expect that. I figured I was out a blackberry and it was OK!

THEN TODAY:

As I was at the computer early this morning at my desk, my lamp fell, hit the coffee cup and SPLASH! Coffee spilled ALL over my laptop!!!!! I jumped up, turned it upside down to drain and then, a message appeared: "Hard drive has halted." ... then it faded to black. I am HORRIBLE at backing my files. So, I pretty much lost everything. Addresses, Care Group stuff, bible study lessons, a study guide I was writing, etc etc etc.. the list goes on and on.

My response? Calm and peaceful!!!! I ran upstairs to tell Dennis what happened. He came down and fiddled with it. His response? Calm and peaceful!!!!!!

I give ALL glory to God for mine and Dennis's responses! There was a day when I would have cried and been angry at myself and anyone in my way. Dennis would be been angry and seen $ signs before his eyes! NEITHER ONE OF US HAD THOSE RESPONSES!! How can this be?????

It is our dear Savior and God working in us, forming us and changing us to be like Christ! In my flesh I would not respond with such peace.... Dennis and I both looked at one another and said, "Well, the computer died, at least it wasn't one of our kids." ... God has given us a godly perspective.

I thank God and God alone that although I love my technology and gadgets, my treasure is indeed JESUS CHRIST and Him alone! It is HIS work alone in my life, changing my heart to love only HIM! May it always be so with greater increase each and every moment! Thank you Lord God for giving me a heart to love you! I love you because you first loved me!

TAMING THE TONGUE

James 3:8-10
“…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

My meditation on what comes out of my mouth continues. J I have pondered, so far this week, about guarding my mouth, about speaking words of grace that builds others up, and today I am reminded that it is common to man to talk out of both sides of the mouth.

I sing songs of worship! I pray! I bless the Lord! And then this same mouth speaks words of grumbling about others, judgement on others, slander and gossip about others!! Ugh!!!! James tells us that this ought not be so!!!!

The good news as found in the gospel is this: We who have repented of our sins and trust Jesus Christ for salvation are NOT slaves to sin any longer. We are NOT slaves to our tongue any longer!!! Milton Vincent’s Gospel Primer reminds me that “the righteousness that God credited to me became my master on the day I was converted!!” (page 21) I am now a slave to righteousness! Now I must surrender my tongue “to do whatever this righteousness dictates.” (Gospel Primer, page 21).

When I was first converted almost 20 years ago, I read this Scripture in James and realized that God did not want me to use foul language anymore! I remember being so shocked and moved by this scripture and from that day forward my language was cleaned up!! I KNOW it was a work of God in my life. HE cleaned up my mouth! I must surrender all my words to the Lord!

Lord God, today I surrender my tongue to you!!! I do not want to surrender to my flesh. I do not want to surrender to gossip, slander, uncharitable judgements or grumbling about others! I need your help O God! I desire to surrender to the righteousness that you have credited to me! Work in me O God and convict my heart and may the words that come forth from my mouth be pleasing and glorifying to you and edify the hearers of my words. In Jesus name. Amen.

SHOUT WORDS OF GRACE!!!

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

I am reminded of a quote by Sinclair Ferguson that I used at the women’s retreat :

“Only be seeing our sin do we come to see the need and wonder of grace. But exposing sin is not the same thing as unveiling and applying grace. We must be familiar with the exponents of its multifaceted power, and know how to apply it (grace) to a variety of spiritual conditions. Truth to tell exposing sin is easier than applying grace; for alas, we are more intimate with the former than we sometimes are with the latter. Therein lies our weakness.”

Yesterday’s scriptures that I was pondering on reminded me to speak little.. today I am reminded that when I DO speak it must be with words that are full of grace, using words that will build others up.

It is so much easier, I'm sad to say, to tear down, to expose sin, than it is to see grace and apply grace. It IS true, I am more familiar with exposing sin than to look for evidences of grace in others. I desire for my words to SHOUT with grace!

O Lord God, help me to have eyes that see evidences of grace in others lives! Help me to be an encourager, not one who tears down. Help me to be intimate with seeing and applying grace. I need your help Lord, for I am afraid that when I do speak it is not always with grace. Help my words to be few and help those few words speak loudly of grace. Amen.

SPEAK NO EVIL!

Proverbs 13:3
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; He who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Proverbs 21:23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Every once in a while God reminds me to guard my mouth and tongue. Besides the obvious desire of guarding my words and mouth for the glory of God, the bible also includes these wonderful words of wisdom: opening your mouth, Diane, will often get you in trouble and bring ruin! I may bring ruin to myself but even worse, I may dishonor God and bring ruin to others!!!!!

How I need the constant reminder that I do not need to always tell what I am thinking, I do not need to share all I know and I do not need to express my opinion! I DO need to honor God with my words and I DO need to pursue kindness with my speech. Oh Lord, I need your help!!!!!

God's Steadfast Love

Psalm 34:10b
“…but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.”

My prayer today:

Your steadfast love surrounds me Lord because I trust in You and I trust in You because YOU have set YOUR faith into me!!!! Thank you Lord for choosing me for I know I would not have chosen You. I would have continued in my own sinful ways. I love You because You first loved me. Help me Lord always be glad in You and to love Your ways and Your word. In Jesus name, Amen.

MAJESTY

Luke 9:42-43

While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And ALL were astonished at the majesty of God.

The Miriam Webster dictionary definition of “majesty” is: sovereign power.

Yesterday I pondered on the sovereignty and power of Jesus as he calmed the sea and the winds and they obeyed him. Today we see that unclean spirits obey Jesus. Yes, majesty is a good word, a biblical word to describe Jesus.. SOVEREIGN POWER! He is Lord over all! May I never again take for granted the sovereignty and power of my God and Savior!

HE COMMANDS EVEN WINDS AND WATER

Luke 8:22-25

One day He got into a boat with his disciples, and He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and ask they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.
He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled saying to one another, “who then is this, that He commands even winds and water, and they obey Him?”

This particular scripture never ceases to make me awestruck! Can you imagine being in that boat when Jesus rebuked the wind and the waters and they obeyed Him??? I would imagine that after I picked my lower jaw up from the bottom of the boat I would be terrified!!!! Who is this that has command over the elements? I often think that I have a better perspective looking at it from 2008 because I KNOW that it is GOD HIMSELF who was in that boat with them, protecting them and showing His great power and presence over creation! How kind of God to show us in this day and age who He is and example after example of His sovereignty of ALL things! May I walk today in the knowledge that my God and Savior is God and Lord over all things. THIS indeed, increases my faith! Thank you God!!!!

“My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul!!!!!” (Horatio G. Spafford 1873)

Luke 7:37, 38,47
“And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at at table int he Pharisee's house, rought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind Him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. ..Therefore I tell you, her sins which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Reading this scripture today I remember back in the days when I was under the teaching that we are not sinners but saints. I was taught that if I think I am a saint then I won’t sin. Ugh! The truth is, those who are saved, are indeed saints, but we are also sinners. It is a 2-sided coin. We are both! I am embarrassed to say that in those days I was taught to believe that those who considered themselves sinners were immature and uninformed, that these people took joy in beating themselves up for their sin.

OH! How I thank God for opening my eyes and showing me the depth of my sin and the extent of my depravity!!! For I found that the truth of scripture is this: Only when I realize that I am a sinner, that I sin and it is deep and extensive, do I appreciate all the more the grace and love of my God!!!!

It has served, not to make me sad and morose but joyful and grateful and has increased my affections for Jesus!!!!! I am rejoicing night and day for the amazing grace given to me by God! I am no longer a slave to sin. Sin no longer has dominion over me. BUT I do sin and my joy is this: that Jesus died for my sins and God is working in me and making me holy.

The woman in this scripture cried and wiped Jesus feet with her hair and anointed Jesus feet in repentance and gratitude for she understood her great sin and God’s great forgiveness found in Jesus. The Pharisee was appalled because he felt his sin was small and his goodness great. May I never again consider my sin small. It serves to make me prideful.

How much more effective for my soul it is to realize the depth of my sin. Thank you Lord God for dying for my sins. Thank you for opening my eyes to realize that although you count me a saint in Christ Jesus I now see the depth of my sin. The longer I walk with you the more I see my sin. Thank you for giving me this understanding. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!!!!!!

Luke 6:27-36

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, off the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish others to do to you, do so them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those who from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinnres, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return , and your reward will be great, and you will be son of the Most High, for hie is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.


These are Jesus's words that speak louder than anything more I can say.

BUT...

Titus 3:1-7

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy to all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days with malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. BUT when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

It’s one of those days where I am just reveling in the gospel. I read about what I once was… foolish? Yes. disobedient? Yes. led astray? Yes. a slave to various passions? Yes! passing my days with malice and envy being hated and hating others? YES! and once again comes my favorite word… BUT when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, HE SAVED ME!!!! Not by works but ACCORDING TO HIS OWN MERCY!

May pondering this scripture remind us today of God’s goodness and kindness and cause us to praise HIM!

Romans 12:10a
Outdo one another in showing honor.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Still thinking about the retreat from this weekend. As I read these scriptures I think, "Do I really try to outdo my brothers and sisters in Christ in showing honor to them!? no! and then we are told to count others as more significant than ourselves! We are blessed to be a part of a church that teaches this. I know that I've mentioned this to you before that when I first began going to my church I was suspect of peoples encouragement and kindness to me.

Eventually I realized they are putting into practice this scripture! They are showing honor to their brothers and sisters through encouragement and gratitude! By seeing this modeled to me, I began to desire to extend honor and kindness to those around me. I found I began to NOTICE the service of others where I never had before.

Jesus, himself, the ONLY perfect one humbled himself and took upon himself our sins and bore the wrath and punishment of God in our place, SO that I can, in His name, bestow honor to my brothers and sisters!

Lord God help me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ by counting them more significant than myself and to show them honor with zeal!

And they'll Know we are christians by our love,

by our love.

Yes they'll know we are christians

by our love. (by Peter Schools)

Can't help but hum this tune as I think about counting others as more significant than myself!

May God be glorified and the gospel advanced as we love one another, imitating Christ.

ROCK OF AGES

Is 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee;
let the water and the blood,
from they wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
save from wrath and make me pure.

not the labor of my hands,
can fulfill Thy law’s demands.
could my zeal no respite know,
could my ears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
Thou must save and Thou alone.

nothing in my hand i bring.
simply to Thy cross i cling;
naked come to Thee for grace;
foul, i to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior or i die.

by Augustus Toplady 1776

As I was listening to my worship songs this morning and heard Rock of Ages I was reminded of the beauty of salvation and how it is a work of God and God alone! God gives us the faith to believe, so by this faith and by God’s grace we turn to him in this God-given faith with repentance.

GOD alone is the one we hide in. HE hides us from His own wrath!

Do you see the kindness of GOD????

HE saves us from his own wrath and gives us what we need to be saved! While we were yet sinners Christ died for our sins! God gives us the faith to believe and in His kindness leads us to repentance!!!!!!! And then we have access through Christ to the very one whose wrath we needed saving from!

WOW!

There is never so secure a place as in Christ! It’s all God! I sing with such joy,

“nothing in my hand I bring.

Simply to thy cross I cling;

naked come to thee for grace;

foul, I to the fountain fly;

wash me, Savior or I die.”

Thank you Jesus for saving me.

A FRAGRANT OFFERING

Eph 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This was the theme scripture for our little retreat yesterday. It is sticking with me… I want to be an imitator of God, walking in love. I am humbled as God shows me what it means to walk in love as Christ did. That’s a tall order!!! But by HIS grace and work of the Holy Spirit He is sanctifying me and doing this in me! May I willingly surrender to God and his work in me. May it be a sweet aroma unto the Lord.

CONSIDER THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD!

Psalm 107.43
Whoever is wise, let him attend to those things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Psalm 108:4
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

This morning, as I prepare to be a small part in the teachings of the retreat being held today, I am STRUCK anew with the beauty of Jesus in salvation. It is WISE to consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

As I contemplate on how steadfast the love of God is I only have to remember that the Scriptures tell us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. WOW!

Enemies of God, in rebellion to the Creator, and his love is so great that He gives to us, through Jesus Christ, the righteousness that He demands of us.

and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Thank You For Saving Me

Thank you for saving me,

what can I say?

You are my everything, I will sing your praise.

You shed your blood for me,

what can I say?

You took my sin and shame,

a sinner called by name.

Great is the Lord,

Great is the Lord,

For we know your truth has set us free,

You've set your hope in me.

Mercy and grace are mine,

forgiven is my sin,

Jesus my only hope,

the Saviour of the world.

"Great is the Lord" we cry,

God let your kingdom come,

Your word has let me see,

thank you for saving me!

Written by Martin Smith ©1994 Curious? Music UK

TOO WONDERFUL, TOO MARVELOUS

Job 38:2
“Who is this that darkens my counsel by words without knowledge?”
In this scripture God is telling Job that Job has no idea what he is saying. That Job just doesn’t know the things about God that Job presumed to know!

Job 42:3
“…therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things to wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
In this scripture Job agrees with God. He confessed that it is true, he was talking about things too big for him to know!!

and

v.6 “…therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
In this scripture Job repents of his sin.

Psalm 131:1

“…I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.”
In this scripture the psalmist says that he doesn’t spend time thinking or trying to figure out things that are just to great for Him to know.

How wonderful and sovereign of God to have this scheduled reading for today be on the heels of me opening my mouth yesterday with a friend on the phone and uttering words about things about God that I don’t understand. Oh, I am humbled by God’s love for me as He orchestrates circumstances to reveal sin in me and then forgives me! This love of God makes me embrace repentance knowing that it is God’s kindness that leads me to repentance and repentance is a gift from God!

When she and I were discussing something that was said in her small group I spoke as though I KNEW clearly what I was talking about, but I didn’t!!
How prideful and utterly ridiculous! I see through a glass darkly!

There are some things about God that we do not fully understand! What I DO know is that before I was saved I was an enemy of God because God is pure and holy and I am a sinner. I was once not a people of God and GOD made me a people of God! Once I had not received mercy but now I have received mercy. (1Peter2:10) … All I have to know is that I am a sinner separated from God and because God chose me, gave me faith to believe, by grace I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior! THAT is what I DO know and that is all I need to talk about! J So… I gratefully stand corrected by God’s Word. I gratefully stand forgiven by God’s grace.

As the psalmist wrote, I think I will not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous for me!

Applying the Gospel to Everyday Tasks

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

“Preaching the Gospel to myself each day not only reminds me of the love of God for me, but it also reminds me of the love of God for the works He saved me to perform. When I see the Cross, I see the premium that God places on the works that he has prepared for me. How valuable all of these works must be if Christ would die so I might perform them! And how precious are those for whom these works are done if Christ would die that they may be served.” ( A Gospel Primer, by Milton Vincent, 2008)

I am reminded today that because I am saved, because I have been created in Christ Jesus FOR good works, that have already been prepared before for me to do, I can bring my mom to and from Physical Therapy, I can care for my aging mom’s needs, I can do laundry, sweep up dog hair, , serve my husband and home, raise my children, do the dishes, cook the meals, etc etc etc because Jesus died for me so I could do these works!!!! Applying the Gospel to everyday tasks assists me in being content for I KNOW that these works were prepared for me to walk in them. They are not random tasks that I have to perform so then I can do the work of God, these tasks ARE the work of God!!!! HE prepared them for me to do!!! Oh how I love living in the good of the gospel!!!!

JESUS MY ONLY HOPE OF SALVATION

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11

I revisit this scripture often because I love this truth: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.” I find this sentence jaw dropping! God has not destined us for wrath! Whose wrath? GOD’S wrath! He saved us from His own wrath!!!! This is love. This is mercy. This is AMAZING! He did this so we might live with Him! WOW! I pray that I can live in this jaw dropping realization of God’s great love and then encourage and build one another up in this!!! What could be better news? We can so easily forget that this is the best news of all and we must encourage one another in this truth!!!!

This song, for me, reflects the joy of having no fear of the wrath of God because of Jesus Christ for He is indeed My ONLY hope:

Jesus, My Only Hope

Words and music by Mark Altrogge

As recorded on Songs for the Cross Centered Life

I come into Your presence

With nothing in my hands

I only bring thanksgiving

For Jesus, God and Man

I cast myself on mercy

I cast myself on love

I trust Your gracious promise

To wash me with Your blood

I will not fear Your judgment

For me, no wrath I dread

For it was spent on Jesus

Poured out upon His head

When Satan’s accusations

Make my poor heart afraid

I hear my King declaring

“Father, that debt is paid”

Jesus my only hope,

my only plea

My righteousness,

my Great High Priest

Who intercedes for me

before the throne

Jesus, I trust in You alone

© 2002 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).

HUMILITY

1 Cor 4:7

“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?”

James 1:21

“In humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”


“Humility knows it is dependent on grace for all knowing and believing.” John Piper; DesiringGod.org; http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1126_6_aspects_of_humility/


Have you ever realized how the ex-smoker or the ex-drinker is the most passionate about NOT smoking or NOT drinking? Perhaps even more so than the life- long non smoker or life- long teetotaler? The ex smoker/drinker wants everyone to know what they now know and even though they mean well come across a little obnoxiously! (yes, I was that ex-smoker!!!)

I’m kind of in that boat right now with my fairly recent revelation of when God showed me my sin of judgementalism, critical spirit and legalism in dealing with myself and other people!. Since then I’ve been like a bull in a china shop plowing down everything and everybody in my attempt to show them where they are judgemental or legalistic !!! hahaha! Which, of course, then renders me judgemental and legalistic all over again as I get frustrated with their lack of “getting it.”

I don’t even know how I navigated to this article about humility by Desiring God ministries this morning, but I am thankful that God took me there for it reminded me that ANYTHING I know or understand about God, his Word, my sin, salvation is because it was GIVEN to me and REVEALED to me by God! I’m not that smart, insightful, or savvy to “get it” on my own. I am such a “fool” and therefore I could never see this on my own without God opening my eyes to see.

"Oh Lord, help me to walk in humility remembering that EVERYTHING I have that is good and worthy is from You. Every thought, every understanding is from YOU! Lord, help me to remember to be gentle and humble as I walk alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. Please show me every vestige of pride in my life that continues to rise up in me. I want to kill this sin, not just redirect how it manifests itself. I need you Lord! I need Thee every hour, no, every minute, no, EVERY SECOND! I praise you that you are for us and show us our sins for our sanctification! You are so patient and merciful and gracious to me. I love you Lord. Amen."