Psalm 8:1

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Zechariah 10-12, but when it came to setting before you a devotional, my thoughts would not detach from a subject I’ve been meditating on for weeks: the first part of James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” That is truly the only way to have the power needed to “resist the devil” with any expectation that “he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Maybe this is because I had a great struggle with the devil today, and failed to make him flee.

This was more interesting since I preached about this very thing yesterday. I’ve seen this before. I preach on a topic, and I’m tested on it very soon thereafter. I thank GOD for the reminder that if we do something that gives the devil an advantage, “a stick to beat us with,” we can quickly find relief through confession (1 John 1:7-9) and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9) hugging the neck of the “Lamb as it had been slain” (Revelation 13:8).

Along the still waters, I reviewed some of the insights He has given me on this issue of submission to God to have power to resist the devil, and the one that dominated my attention was this. God’s original plan for us was to be in His image and likeness. To have His image and likeness. God knows good and evil, but is good and not evil. Man knows good and evil, but he is evil and not good. He gave man a choice, whether he would covet God’s likeness, as Satan did (Isaiah 14:14), and so use that likeness for evil and not good. We must learn to submit ourselves to GOD because the power and glory that comes with having His image and likeness cannot be entrusted to a being who would covet that likeness. God demonstrated this in a remarkable way, when the Word, Who was with GOD and was GOD (John 1:1), Who thought it not something to be coveted to be “like GOD,” but made Himself of no reputation, and took the form of a servant, and was made flesh (John 1:134) and was made in the lilkeness of men (Philippians 2:5-7). In this humility, He humbled Himself, and “learned obedience” (Hebrews 5:8), and “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). After His complete submission, He was gloriously exalted (Philippians 2:8-11).

To have the likeness of God, one must have power with restraint, wisdom with humility, and a will that is submitted. What if God acted on every impulse rashly? What if He never restrained? What if God was impulsive, fickle, or hasty in His actions? A being such as GOD, with omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, would be a terror and a tyrant. If we are to be “like God,” we must see what that means. We see it on Calvary!

In the valley shadowed by His Cross, I knelt and wept. Jesus said, Do you understand? I denied myself, took up my cross, and followed Him to His table.

We communed here a while! He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed us out into the Harvest. Selah!

Praying for revival! 🙏

The day has rolled out, so I cannot present a livestream today. I’ll see you tomorrow! Lord willing! Gotta stay submitted. 🙂