Mon.’s Devo - Humility is the Way to the Top

Read: Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52; Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22
What if a person who is a Christian falls into an addiction and their walk with God seems non-existent. Is there hope for them? Yes! They can be bought back by a family member (prayer) or their own selves if they get strong enough to fight. That is what Lev. 25:47-55 is about. Satan will fight harder for a young person because they have more years left to live and do damage to his kingdom. But it is worth the cost of freedom.
Next we have the blessing of obedience and the utter devastation of disobedience. We have seen the result of disobedience in our nation and the nations of the world, but I believe we are turning things around and beginning to live in the blessings. In the blessings there is no lack, and instead of just having enough - there is abundance! There is peace of mind and safety. We become the offensive line against the devil and his demons, instead of the ones on the defense. We see the utter powerlessness of Satan. He only has the power that we give him. He has no power against God and God is within us. We will walk in favor with God and there will be no infertility or miscarriages in our midst. We will be fruitful in every area of our lives. God’s presence will so surround us that we will know that we are his chosen sons and daughters.
The key to coming out of slavery and walking in freedom is to confess our sins and the sins of our fathers and repent. We must learn to live in rest.
We see the advantage of offering a child to the Lord while he is young. The cost is less and the battle for his soul is established then. To wait till later in life will cost more and will be harder to pay. Selah!
In Mark, Jesus led his disciples to Jerusalem. On the way, he took them aside to prepare them for what they were walking into. He told them that he would be arrested by the leading priests and sentenced to die on the cross. He would be mocked and spit on but on the third day he would rise again.
All James and John could get from that was that they wanted him to let one of them sit on his right and the other on his left when he came to his kingdom. Clearly, they missed the point! Jesus told them the cost they would have to pay to get that honor and they thought they were up to the challenge …which they were not. Jesus gave up and told them that those places were already arranged by God. This is when, I would think, Jesus second-thought God’s selection.
Jesus explained that the way to get promotion in the kingdom was to be the servant. I’m sure that went over well.
Jesus then met blind Bartemaeus. Bartemaeus means “son of one unclean”. It also means “son of one esteemed” which is the opposite. Jesus had just talked about the way to be esteemed was to be humble. He took this man who was blind because of his father’s uncleanness and made him see - esteemed! Here was the example of what he had just preached.
Lord, I love this Psalm (45) that is such a powerful picture of the blessings on ourselves and our children. Thank you for your unfailing love and grace that you give to your children.