Based on “Humbly Confident” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 5/5-6/12,
Message #6096; Daily Devotional #6 - “Spirit of Giving”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2, NKJV) The ability to be ‘humbly confident’ may sound like an oxymoron, such as “a fine mess” or “absolutely unsure.” But it is actually a great description of the attitude a Christ follower should possess. Each of us must grow in God and, with His power, be strong to accomplish difficult tasks. The humility comes in knowing that the strength comes directly from God, and without a connection to God we cannot hope to accomplish anything.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): We set ourselves up for failure when we depend on our own talents to do God’s will. Paul sums it up perfectly when he states, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) God knows us better than we know ourselves, and when we surrender to God, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Once we recognize that God is our sole source of strength, we can rest knowing that we can overcome anything. God will never allow a difficulty to come into our lives that we cannot bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). The humility of the Christ follower comes in knowing that without God we are nothing. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) The second we start to rely on things like our education, positive thinking or self-confidence, we separate ourselves from God’s strength and will undoubtedly fail. Instead we are to, “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence evermore!” (1 Chronicles 16:11, NKJV) We cannot reach our God given potential without the strength of God. As we study and obey the Word of God, our faith in God will grow. Then, when we inevitably encounter situations that cause us to struggle, we can begin to respond with faith rather than fear because we know that God’s infinite power is enough for any situation. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Serving God will always be challenging. There will be times when we have to step out of our personal comfort zones. As we practice stepping out and relying on God’s strength, our faith is grown as we see God’s resources being used through us. This process allows us to grow and be able to take on more and more as God continues to open doors for us. To continue successfully and reach our potential in God, we must have total confidence in His strength and know that without it we are nothing.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 17:20, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 23:4
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
New King James Version = NKJV.