Psalms 8:1, 31:1-3a, and 145:1-3
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 1Kings 18, the story of Elijah and Mt. Carmel. After I meditated for a while on a few insights that the Spirit presented through His word to my mind, I could not shake off the desire to revisit Sunday’s post titled Honor!
Luke 14:10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
We’ll be in Luke 14 again this morning. But first, a couple of the many interesting handfuls on purpose from this morning’s gleanings.
I noticed the prayer God heard and the prayer He ignored (1 Kings 18:36-38; 19:1-8). God heard Elijah’s prayer when he publicly called for fire to consume his sacrifice in the sight of Israel and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:36-38). God ignored Elijah’s private request to let him die (1 Kings 19:1-8). Sometimes the mercy and goodness of God are seen as much in the prayers He hears as in the prayers He ignores.
Elijah enjoyed one of the most powerful and open demonstrations of God’s glory over the false gods and victory over the false prophets in history. Yet in his own estimation, he would die a failure (1 Kings 19:4). God called His prophet aside to instruct him that God’s voice is not met in the fire, storm, or earthquake, but in stillness and quiet (1 Kings 19:10-13). Elijah felt done, and he was, for God assigned him three errands to complete, after which God sent His chariot to fetch Elijah up into heaven (1 Kings 19:21; 2 Kings 2:1-15). God had other work for Elijah (See Malachi 4:5-6 with Luke 1:17 and Matthew 17:3-4; and I think Elijah is one of the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11:3-7; see Zechariah 4:3-12).
There were some insights God gave to me from my Sunday and Monday morning devotions that I wanted to pass on to you.
Along the still waters, I contemplated the mystery of Christ. Our LORD will call a wedding, and the Bride of Christ will be presented (Revelation 19:7-11). The church is His bride (John 3:29; Ephesians 5:25-32).
Although in this parable Jesus uses the analogy of “guests” at the wedding, we should regard the principle taught as even more applicable to us. Would He Who took the lowest seat for us, the Cross, be pleased to purchase with His blood a bride full of pride (Acts 20:28; consider James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5)? I think He would target that blemish and vigorously expunge it from her that would be His bride (Ephesians 5:27).
In view of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), our Saviour took the lowest place among men on this earth (Philippians 2:5-10). The Father, seeing this, called Him up to take the highest seat in all of Heaven and over all the Earth (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; Philippians 2:11; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:5; Ephesians 1:21).
Indeed, we are called to honor Him by following in His steps (1 Peter 2:21): “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, I chewed on this a while. Jesus instructs us to lower ourselves to be exalted. However, look deeper. We must avoid lifting ourselves above others, lest there be one among us, unknown to us, but known to the Master, that is more honorable. Not only does this parable teach us that the path to honor is humility, but it also teaches us that humility protects us from shame. If I take the lower seat, and the Master does not call me up to a higher one, at least I have avoided the shame of being sent from the higher seat to the lower one. Humility is better than humiliation. It is its own honor.
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
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