Daily Huddle - Sun Jun 2, 2019 Everything Starts With...

Love you all, praying for you.   
 
God spoke in my spirit this morning.  Everything starts with _____.   How would you finish that sentence?  Everything of importance, everything that is truly good, everything that you could truly want or hope for starts with ________?   It’s who Jesus is.  It’s what draws God to you – His favor and power.  It’s what draws others to you – unity.  It’s the first ingredient and most important ingredient of success.  What is it?  Humility.  Humility and the Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (the right use of knowledge).  Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth, honor and life.   Wisdom, one of the seven spirits of God – (Isaiah 11:2) who was with God in the beginning.  Humility is who Jesus is.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me – for I am meek and humble in heart.  Humility – taking the low place, thinking of yourself as less than, not more than – someone else.  Thinking of others as more than, more important than, not less than - you.  Humility - being willing to serve – like Jesus did – the guest of honor who got up and did the job of a servant – washing his disciples feet, as an example of how He wanted them to treat others.  God gives grace to the humble – (unmerited favor and divine power).  God lifts up the humble - but He opposes the proud (those who take the high place, the big piece, who think more highly of themselves).   So if you haven’t thought of being humble for a while, how do you make this a focus, a priority – a mark of your life, like it was a mark of Jesus’ life.  Jesus humbled himself, and became obedient – unto death – even death on a cross.  What if you didn't have humility - that God honors?  Could you succeed in life - with God opposing you?  Really?  What if you were humble?  What if humility became the hallmark of your life - like it was in Jesus? 

So where do you start?  First, humble yourself before God, then humble yourself before others.  How do you humble yourself before God?  Bow down – worship and bow down.  Take the physical position of humility.  Humility and submission go together.  Submission – a willingness to come under the authority, direction or influence of another.  In your PRISM time with God every day – begin on your knees, with your face to the ground.  Chose a posture of humility, and your body will remind your soul and spirit.  Listen – don’t’ talk.  God is in heaven, and you are on earth – let your words be few.  Listen – to what He has to say.  Rest in His presence, - wait on Him!  Read His Word – let him speak.  Pray in the Spirit – let Him speak to your spirit.  Obey – humility and submission is evidenced, demonstrated – through obedience.  Whatever He tells you - do it! and only do what He tells you.  If you don't obey like Jesus did, you're not humble.  Jesus was the example of humility –  He only and always – did - always and only what His Father in Heaven told him.  What He did, what He spoke – was in full obedience.   PiVAT will help you!  Giving up your plans – for His plans for you for today, for this week, is demonstrating humility – God will give you favor and power.  He looks to show himself strong on behalf of obeyers.  (those fully committed to Him).  And Finally Fast.  Fasting humbles you before God.  It puts your physical desires last, and God’s desires first.  David said “I humbled myself with fasting.”  Scripture records that even the wicked kings – when they humbled themselves (and they did it with fasting) God showed them mercy.  Bow down, listen, obey, fast – four ways to humble yourself before God.  So how can you humble yourself before others?  Listen, honor, adapt and serve.  By merely listening, giving someone your full attention – you are saying to them – what you have to say is more important than what I have to say.  It is thinking of others as more important than you – humility – treating them the way God loves them.   Honor – give honor where honor is due, give credit to others when they do well, encourage them, and encourage them in front of others (not flattery, but true appreciation).  Give others the spotlight, instead of seeking it for yourself.  Adapt – discern between principle and preference.  There is more than one way to do something, be willing to do things the way someone else envisions they could be done.  Help them accomplish their vision and goals and dreams.  Do things their way where possible.  Not saying you compromise Godliness, or what God told you to do, or relinquish your God-given authority, or responsibilities, but accommodate others desires whenever possible and practical – sacrifice your way of doing things – to gain unity and understanding.  You will find that humility is the first step toward unity.  It brings people together.  Finally, Serve - make it your habit.  When you are serving others you are not serving yourself.  Serving is humility practice – and every time you serve others – putting their needs above your own – you are also serving God. 
 
Praying for you today – that you would remember the humility of Jesus – that you would practice humility before God, and humility before others.   Praying that you will even today, even right now review these three mission-critical PRISM Topics. These three are so important!  Get God's Word in you - let it transform your mind, speak it out loud into your heart - your PRISM Topic for your PRISM - M: Meditate on the Word.  PRISM Topic – Humility, and PRISM Topic – Humble, and Relationship Topic - How 2 Be Humble.  This is the WORD of God on humility, it's Jesus (The Word) speaking on humility – His Hallmark – why he left His throne, and took on the form of a human, the form of a servant – it's why he fully obeyed His Father in Heaven.  And God lifted him to the highest place.   Praying for you that you would humble yourself – that you would choose humility, something so unnatural, because you love God and love others – even if you never got anything for it.  And praying also for you, that God would lift you up in due season – so that the fruit of your life – in loving and serving others – would increase and multiply -  to the glory of God!    
 
Love you all,
dad