Topic: Whatever – Dr Ed Young Daily Devotional – The winning walk 8 November 2022
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Whatever
November 8, 2022
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” – Philippians 4:8
“Whatever!” That word uttered by someone – often a teenager standing with arms crossed and eyes rolling – has become the quintessential expression of apathy. No one wants to hear an apathetic whatever, especially God. He wants us to be engaging and involved and on the front lines of caring, serving and comforting others.
But there are some very positive “whatevers” that we need to embrace and express in our lives. They are the whatevers found in our passage – the whatevers of things excellent and praiseworthy. God wants us to be about His whatevers, because behind the whatevers of PHILIPPIANS 4:8 is Jesus Christ. So let me challenge you to become not only a person who dwells on whatever is excellent and praiseworthy, but one who also acts on these whatevers of God to make a difference in someone’s life.
Six Things the Lord Hates – Alternative View – November 8
There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood . . . (Proverbs 6:16–17)
Satan’s original name, “Lucifer,”means “shining one, star.”Lucifer was God’s “chief angel in charge.” But one day he looked into the mirror and became all too smitten with himself. He answered his own riddle, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, I’m the fairest of them all.” Satan got what we would call a “God complex,” making him quickly dissatisfied with his position.
Eyeing God’s throne, he wondered, Maybe there’s room for two.
Ezekiel explains God’s response, “By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:16).
We get a glimpse into Satan’s haughtiness and boasting, which led to God’s response, when we read of his five “I will” statements found in the book of Isaiah. These statements clearly outline Satan’s root sin, which is pride. Scripture tells us clearly that pride is first on God’s “hate list” (>Proverbs 6:16–17). One reason God hates pride is that it is the fundamental attitude of the kingdom that rivals His own. The next time you feel tempted to take glory for that which should belong to God, remember what happened to Satan.
Reflection: What was God’s response to Satan’s attempt to climb up higher than a mere creature (Isaiah 14:12–17)? Why does God hate pride? Where is pride lurking in your own life? What will your response be?
Lord, pride is a sin that seeks to take glory away from You. It is a sin that You hate strongly. Sometimes it is easier to look at more obvious sins as those that offend You while ignoring this one that often remains internal in the heart. Lord, help me not to feel superior to those who are caught in obvious sins and help me to recognize the subtle sin of pride when it swells within me so that I can be convicted to humble myself before You.
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