See It Coming

​Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives warnings.  Important ones. Just in time.  God knows what the devil will attempt to trip you up with today.  That’s why God gives you the answer, before the test.  He does it through your PRISM Time (those five things you can do in God’s Word every day), or your Daily Call, (to exhort one another daily, and to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony) and through PiVAT before dinner, so He can counsel you in the night season, and confirm the plans He has for you.  What a blessing.  Proverbs 11:2 – When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  If you see pride coming, go the other way; because it comes with disgrace.  Not just humiliation and loss of reputation, but the removal, the loss of grace.  Pride comes.  And it always brings disgrace with it.  You might not even be prideful – you might be pride-empty.  But be on your guard.  Pride is coming and it wants to fill you – and disgrace you.  It wants to distance you from God’s grace (Divine power and Divine unmerited favor).  It wants to dismiss grace from you. Sometimes you just don’t see it coming.  Pride is the high place, humility is the low place.  It you allow pride to come, disgrace comes with it.  But if you seek humility – wisdom comes every time.  Every time you choose humility, the low place – you can know for sure – wisdom is coming.  Choose humility and you choose wisdom.  So how do you see pride coming?  #1 Not listening is the first sign of pride coming. It’s the first step, the first choice of pride.  Instead, make it a habit to ask a clarifying question, instead of responding with your answer, or your opinion.  And it will build a habit of listening and understanding, and humility in you.   #2 Hearing something, and immediately thinking – you know better.  Before forming an instant opinion from what someone says.  Always ask God first:  “God is this true? And is this You?”  Just because it’s true, doesn’t mean it’s You.  Every accusation of the devil, has an element of truth to it.  Sometimes it’s true, but it’s not the time yet.  It’s time to pray, not to say.  Ask God, He will show you.  And if you’re asking God rather than speaking your natural opinion or reaction, it is a buffer for you, a shield against pride coming.  #3 Every opportunity to take the high place, rather than the low place, the bigger piece instead of the smaller piece, to be served instead of serve – It could be pride coming. And you remember what comes with it.  You don’t want to be distanced or separated from grace, disgrace is no way to live.  It is a guarantee of failure.  #4  Seeing someone do something and comparing.  The trap of comparison.  “They’re not all that.”  (They never said they were all that… you said that.)  “I’m better than that, I wouldn’t have done it that way.”  That’s pride coming.  #5 Hearing someone say something negative about another.  Do you join in the gossip? Did you leave it unchecked? Do you think and speak or repeat the slander?  That’s pride coming.  Praying that you will always choose humility, so pride cannot come.  That you will always ask a clarifying question before answering.  That you will always ask God – Is this true, and is this you?  That you would always choose the low place, the smaller piece, and look for every opportunity to serve someone else.  That’s humility, that’s wisdom coming!  You can hear it like a freight train.  Praying that you will avoid the trap of comparison.  God told Peter, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you?  You just follow me.” (John 21:22)  Praying that you won’t compare, but just follow Jesus on the path He has set for you – it is the best path possible.  It fits you – it’s way better than anyone else’s path.  You can trust Him, His love for you is endless!  Praying that you will never join in gossip or slander, but believe the best, give the benefit of the doubt, and redirect the conversation towards speaking life.  You don’t need to confront or embarrass the one trapped in gossip, just gently defend the absent party, giving the benefit of the doubt, and fully refocusing the conversation.  Sometimes with an entirely new subject question or invitation.  Praying that when pride comes, you will see it coming, and go the other way.  So you will grow in grace not be distanced from it.  That you will always choose humility – the low place, so wisdom will always catch you.  
 
Love you all,
dad