Thursday, 4/2/2015

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” ~ C.S. Lewis

JUDGES 8-9

Gideon frees Israel and refuses to be made king...

22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 

LUKE 8:22-56

Jesus is always deferring to God but men praise the Man not God...

38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. 

JOURNAL

Power and influence have a way of corrupting us.  This is precisely why Gideon refuses to be annointed King.  It is also why Christ continually pulls away and always instructs those he heals to praise God.  There is an insatiable danger of wanting to become all powerful and begin to delusionally believe your own press clippings.

This happens to Israel and ultimately plagues all the future kings.  It is easy to see it play out in my own life.  I want credit and to be well thought of...why?  It is because I want the acknowledgement from Man not God.  Man is here and tangible and somewhat controllable, God is not.

17“Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. (2 Samuel 23:17)