S)"17 Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,'"
Revelation 3:17 (NASB)
O) There were actually a few different verses that stood out to me from chapter 3 today (above and also vs. 5 & 10), but the above stood out the most because it's actually my history. When I was a teenager, I was following God, but I don't know if I'd say I was serving Him, exactly. I needed God to be my refuge from the chaos that was my home life, but my relationship with Him was very shallow. So, when I was a senior in high school and I got my own job, then graduated and got a real job... I just started to fade away... it wasn't exactly a conscious abandonment, but I definitely didn't feel a need for Him. Little did I know that I was actually more wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked than ever.
A) I did start to feel each of those, though. Again, it was slow, but sure. I was becoming overwhelmed by life itself and God began to pull on my heart, reminding me that my best efforts couldn't save me, but He could. Since then, it's all about humility. See, when I was following God in the beginning, I wasn't humble. I was using God. It had nothing to do with my own shortcomings, it had to do with convenience. So, applying this Scripture is all about prevention, and the solution to this pitfall is all about humility. I will never be able to keep my life on my own because apart from Him, I'm only good at slowly failing. In fact, my very life isn't mine at all; my life is the one God gave me. It's His gift that I'm living, guarding, protecting... I humble myself by remembering just how wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked I really was.
P) Father, thank You for saving me from myself, God. Holy Spirit, remind me daily that I am unqualified to run my own life. If it takes a daily rebuke, then God, rebuke me daily. I never want to fall into this feeling that I have it all together in my life. Until the day that I am actually able to give life myself, which will never happen, I need to remember that I am unsuitable to be a life-manager. Only in You, God, am I equiped and able to live the life you've given me. Humble me every time I fail to humble myself, God, because I need to remember that You are in charge for a reason and I don't want to fail twice. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
A) I did start to feel each of those, though. Again, it was slow, but sure. I was becoming overwhelmed by life itself and God began to pull on my heart, reminding me that my best efforts couldn't save me, but He could. Since then, it's all about humility. See, when I was following God in the beginning, I wasn't humble. I was using God. It had nothing to do with my own shortcomings, it had to do with convenience. So, applying this Scripture is all about prevention, and the solution to this pitfall is all about humility. I will never be able to keep my life on my own because apart from Him, I'm only good at slowly failing. In fact, my very life isn't mine at all; my life is the one God gave me. It's His gift that I'm living, guarding, protecting... I humble myself by remembering just how wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked I really was.
P) Father, thank You for saving me from myself, God. Holy Spirit, remind me daily that I am unqualified to run my own life. If it takes a daily rebuke, then God, rebuke me daily. I never want to fall into this feeling that I have it all together in my life. Until the day that I am actually able to give life myself, which will never happen, I need to remember that I am unsuitable to be a life-manager. Only in You, God, am I equiped and able to live the life you've given me. Humble me every time I fail to humble myself, God, because I need to remember that You are in charge for a reason and I don't want to fail twice. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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