From the book "The Beatitudes - God's Plan For Battle". by Russell Stendal.We must allow God to deal with our pride until we mourn the deeds of the old man under the old nature. It is those that mourn that will be comforted with the genuine Holy Spirit. There has to be a genuine seeking after God. We have to allow God to break the hardness of our heart. When He changes our heart and gives us His heart, it comes with that hunger and thirst for righteousness and for meekly doing things His way. The person who receives the genuine infilling of the Presence of God does not have to strive after superficial manifestations of spirituality; this person simply begins to bubble over, to overflow with the supernatural Presence and love of God. Jesus promises a well of "living water" that will spring up out of our innermost being (John 7:38).(Oh that we would stay at Your feet O' God and have no other purpose than to get to know You our Lord. That the Rivers of Living Waters would flow from You into us and out to those around us. We worship You our Savior, our Master, we worship You for who You are alone.)
I know that this year the Lord has really shown me that the sin in my life, Its root cause in my life is pride. The sin of _______ the root cause was pride. He showed me more deeply the roots of some of the things I was/am battling with all grew out of pride. What a merciful God to show me these things at their root.....I think sooooo much can be linked to pride....Divorce, rebellious children, church factions....even worry has roots in pride. Its a deadly cancer that all true believers must stand against. Just as surely as we resist Lust of the flesh & lust of the eyes.
_________________Jeff
Amen. And pride is something that can arise, try to arise almost daily. The key is to recognize it as pride and then we can reject it before it takes a hold on us. It can be sneaky at that but the Holy Spirit will convict if we let Him. It likes to be justified and is arrogant and is subtle. But once again the key is when the Holy Spirit comes, and we can ask Him to create in us a clean heart, to instantly confess & repent from it. I too have been shown more and more when it begins or has been there this year. The Lord is cleaning up our hearts to make us a bride pure and holy for Himself. Praise God He loves us that much, not to leave us alone in our pride etc. We love and appreciate You so much for this, the Lover and Savior of our souls.
