The "Pride" Possession

In a world full of "make it happen" ...God is the good shepherd that leads you beside still waters. He restores, and quiets your soul from the commotion, and uproar of the world. Rest easy tonight....it will happen as soon as you give him your most prideful possession.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

From the outside you are revered by others because of your astute resume, and your way of life. The clothes you wear, the car you drive, and that humongous rock on your finger does not override the way you treat others, and your lack of service/charity. Everyone else is looking at the outward, but God plunges beneath the veneer of who you pretend to be. He knows you in your innermost parts. He knows you like no one else can.

Pride is resentment built up in the heart. We fear that the solution lies just within our grasp, and we can't wait to get our hands on it. Inadvertently, we run from the house of protection, our covering, that is sealed by grace, and the holy spirit. We cleave to pride discrediting the righteousness of our Lord, and Savior. Let this penetrate in your heart; God can work with a humble heart, not a haughty one despising correction, and slapping the hand that provides her strength.

God is not afraid of your uproar when the temperature of your situation elevates to “heated”. He is a God that answers by fire. Whether he is coming to speak to you in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-17), or extricating the water from your drenched wood by burning brilliantly ablaze (1 Kings 18:22-40).

He is both the Lion of Judah, and the Lamb of Israel. He is Abba Father, he is God manifested in the flesh, he is Jesus. Imagine him knocking at your door today with a trash bag in his hand. You are standing there cleaving on to pride with tears streaming like a steady river running pervasively down your face.

Your “cleaving pride” can be: your job, your spouse, your children, your finances, your wardrobe, your house, your possessions, and your education, etc.

He says, “Let me take what you think you have to hold on to now ...before you do more damage than good. I know you want to do it yourself, but that is not my will for you at this time. For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm. I have plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). You cry out to me, I hear your groans, and pains. I responded by sending you help, but you turned them away. Please listen, you are not to handle this part of your life without using the reserves I have strategically allotted for you. Please daughter, let go ...and let me.”

Pray this prayer over your “cleaving pride” right now:

Lord,

Please forgive me for holding on to selfishness….

You are the holiest of hollies, and I surrender before you now...

Forgive me for trying to control every situation...

as my efforts from now on are without pride...

I don’t want to do this alone anymore….

I’m offering, (name it here), and I release this into

your hands….

Please reveal to me every pride moment that I’m cleaving to....

(Quiet reflection)

I accept the help in whichever form you send it.

I will be vulnerable before others about what is going on in my life….

All of this is to bring glory to your name.

I pray these things from a humble spirit.

Oh Lord bless my soul,

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

Begin the Ascend "Woman of Faith"

God is with you every step of the way. Do not be troubled, or downcast. There is strength in your failures, let them become stepping stones... as you continue climbing upward and onward...

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12

You are more than your main source of income. You are more than your marital status. You are more than what you possess.

Your life is not merely about what you can squeeze out of it. Imagine compressing a washcloth trying to detain every ounce of water from it; as if there is no more water to be found. This translates into real life with many of us fearing the monotony of stillness; divulging that if we don’t manipulate the outcome of our future ...meaning we don’t wring out everything we can ...we will have nothing to show for our cumbersome lives.

Today, let these words break the curse of over pursuing your desires in fear that they will cease to repopulate. You are not depleted! He is the well that never runs dry. Quit living your life as if you will never extend to anything else. This is not your final destination. As a woman of faith, you have something to look forward to, heaven. There is more to come. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God loves you with an everlasting love. He has distinguished you and therefore equipped you for such a time as this. This is not the time for you to rush the process. This is not the time for you to pursue success in the eyes of man. Don’t compromise the journey for the thrill of an experience. This is the moment where you ascend in the eyes of the Lord; this may look like death to your plans, your dreams, and your future goals.

Nonetheless, let God have it now before your heart becomes congested with the things of this world. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money (Matt. 6:24)

Ascending often resembles falling back, or giving up in the eyes of the world. For instance, God may be moving you to cut back on hours at work to spend more time at home with your children. God may have you live in that rental for two more years to pay off your debt, so that you may purchase a home with less stress.

God may have you wait five years before launching the business you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl, so that you can save, and learn more about business in the meantime. But instead of you waiting you are straining to make things happen in your timing!

Release the towel and step away! Allow God to lead you beside the still waters...in this you are actually ascending. Begin the ascending process woman of faith! There is peace in the release. Let go ... and trust that God will never leave you or forsake you.

David exclaims in Psalms 37:25; I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. You are no exception. Let God provide, rest in the peace of surrender, and in the arms of everlasting grace, Jesus Christ.