BBD 03.27.06 Above Average

#1 · March 26, 2006, 5:58 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on March 26, 2006, 5:58 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Try out the new website at www.theburningbush.net

The old website is at www.theburningbush.org

Several devotional booklets are now available for free download in PDF
format at the new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 1,073 new subscribers since November 1, 2005!!

03.27.06

Above Average

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of
you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:5-6.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out
not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. -
Philippians 2:3-4.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14.

In a poll conducted by the Washington Post it was found that most people who
live in the United States think they are above average in many areas of
their lives. In the area of honesty - 94% thought they were "above average."
In common sense - 89% thought they were "above average." In actual
intelligence - 86% thought they were above average. In physical
looks/beauty - 79% thought they were "above average." Of course, now we know
something else about these people. What do you think that might be?
According to the results of the Washington Post poll you could probably
argue that of the people in the United States only 6 to 21% of them have
that quality called, humility. Of course, those lacking in that quality
appear to be making up for it in thinking well of themselves.

Psychologists will tell you that a good self-image is important to
maintaining good mental health. It now appears that the self-image of many
may have been over-developed. A proper self-image is vital for many reasons.
Thinking rightly about yourself is important in making life decisions. A
false view of yourself could lead you to take actions that you should not
take or fail to take actions that you should.

One of those actions that a faulty self-image will prevent you from taking
is prayer. If you are self-made, self-important, above average in every area
of life - why would you need the help of anyone, even the help of God?
However, humility, and a lower than average self-image appears to be what
God is looking for in His most special servants. In Micah 6:8 we are told,
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of
you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Then, in 1 Peter we have this, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to
the humble."

In that great verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 we have what are traditionally
thought of to be the requirements for revival. The very first requirement is
that God's people, "humble themselves." The second requirement is that God's
people, "pray." The second and third requirements are to seek God, and to
turn from their wicked ways. Perhaps this is why we are in such great need
of revival? Because of our above average self-image, we see no need to
humble ourselves, certainly not before God, and therefore we see no need to
pray. If that is the condition of our hearts how likely is it that we would
have a desire to seek God or to turn from our "wicked ways?" Not very!

A key to living in harmony with other men and women and with God is very
simple but its practice has grown increasingly rare. Humility, a rare
quality that is growing even rarer. Do you have it?

Copyright © 2006. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at www.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at:
www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 400 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Try out the new website at http://www.theburningbush.net

The old website is at http://www.theburningbush.org

Several devotional booklets are now available for free download in PDF
format at the new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 1,073 new subscribers since November 1, 2005!!

03.27.06

Above Average

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of
you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore, humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:5-6.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out
not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. -
Philippians 2:3-4.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14.

In a poll conducted by the Washington Post it was found that most people who
live in the United States think they are above average in many areas of
their lives. In the area of honesty - 94% thought they were "above average."
In common sense - 89% thought they were "above average." In actual
intelligence - 86% thought they were above average. In physical
looks/beauty - 79% thought they were "above average." Of course, now we know
something else about these people. What do you think that might be?
According to the results of the Washington Post poll you could probably
argue that of the people in the United States only 6 to 21% of them have
that quality called, humility. Of course, those lacking in that quality
appear to be making up for it in thinking well of themselves.

Psychologists will tell you that a good self-image is important to
maintaining good mental health. It now appears that the self-image of many
may have been over-developed. A proper self-image is vital for many reasons.
Thinking rightly about yourself is important in making life decisions. A
false view of yourself could lead you to take actions that you should not
take or fail to take actions that you should.

One of those actions that a faulty self-image will prevent you from taking
is prayer. If you are self-made, self-important, above average in every area
of life - why would you need the help of anyone, even the help of God?
However, humility, and a lower than average self-image appears to be what
God is looking for in His most special servants. In Micah 6:8 we are told,
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of
you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Then, in 1 Peter we have this, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to
the humble."

In that great verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 we have what are traditionally
thought of to be the requirements for revival. The very first requirement is
that God's people, "humble themselves." The second requirement is that God's
people, "pray." The second and third requirements are to seek God, and to
turn from their wicked ways. Perhaps this is why we are in such great need
of revival? Because of our above average self-image, we see no need to
humble ourselves, certainly not before God, and therefore we see no need to
pray. If that is the condition of our hearts how likely is it that we would
have a desire to seek God or to turn from our "wicked ways?" Not very!

A key to living in harmony with other men and women and with God is very
simple but its practice has grown increasingly rare. Humility, a rare
quality that is growing even rarer. Do you have it?

Copyright © 2006. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

The Crossmap Christian Search and Portal is a wonderful resource. I would
like to encourage you to visit this great site at http://www.crossmap.com. Crossmap
has added the Burning Bush Devotionals to their site. You may visit
Crossmap's sister website, the online version of the Christian Post at
http://www.christianpost.com.

If you have a Christian website you are invited to add the link to my free
links at the Burning Bush website. The Bravenet free links is near the
bottom of the front page http://www.theburningbush.org.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of our services including my sermons are posted at:
http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is now a webpage available at associate.com where the devotionals are
archived associate.com/groups/burningbushdevo. There is a complete
archive at the Burning Bush website and the address for the archive is
http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You may subscribe to the pure text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org and you can unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Prayer Group. Send and receive prayer requests
to over 400 members. Send a blank email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Inspirational Group. Send and receive
inspirational material to over 100 members. Send a blank email to:
bbinspire-subscribe@welovegod.org

Subscribe to the Burning Bush Restoration and Recovery Group for those with
addictions or recovering from addictions. Receive devotionals and
inspirational material directed toward those with addictions. Send and
receive prayer requests. Over 200 members. Send a blank email to:
tbbrr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to the Intercede Life Group and pray for and help in practical
ways those who need help. To subscribe send a blank email to
interclife-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.