God Opposes the Proud
Pastor and Bible teacher Francis Frangipaine was once asked what spirit is most often the source of opposition to churches and ministries. He responded, “The Holy Spirit.”
How would you feel if you learned that the main reason your ministry (professional or otherwise) was difficult/impossible was not because you were opposed by the devil, but because the Spirit of God opposed you? In today’s Bible reading*, James tells us that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. James is alluding to Proverbs 3:34, “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.” (ESV)
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Application
Could it be that your ministry is unnecessarily hard because God is opposed to your pride? I know that’s a hard word to swallow. But it could very well be the source of your difficulty. Now, I’m not saying that all ministry should be easy, smooth sailing. In fact, I believe that all God-glorifying ministry will be met with opposition — sometimes significant opposition — from our enemy.
But as we press into God’s leading, seeking to glorify Him, edify other Believers, and testify to the lost and dying world, we should do all that we can to gain and maintain humility so that God will undergird our ministry rather than oppose it.
Spend a few minutes asking God to search you deeply and reveal pride. (Psalm 139:23)
* Today we are reading James 4.
This devotional was originally published on April 2, 2020.
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