Exalted Above Measure

 2Corinth 12:7
​​And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

One of Paul’s temptations in his life was to think that he was someone great. He had reason to “brag” about himself. “Circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; according to the law, a Pharisee;” (Phil 3:5.) He was brought up in the city at the feet of Gamaliel, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, a teacher of the law of Moses. He was charged by the high council with eliminating this new uprising of people who claim that Jesus was the Messiah. 
Paul was a man filled with the Holy Spirit, who consecrated his life to doing the work of God. He was not ruled by the carnal nature, he was a man sanctified wholly to do the will of God. Yet, he was tempted to think of himself more highly than others. Satan would tempt him to exalt himself above measure. To think his abilities were the driving force in spreading the gospel of Christ. Being sanctified does not immune one from temptation. Satan works to scatter the power of God’s people (Dan 12:7) and sees those who have great influence fall. God was faithful to send Paul a “throne in the flesh”, something that would affect his humanity. Causing him to struggle and keep him from boasting and depending on his own strength. He realized that the charge given to him could not be made by any ability of his own, that he needed God to give him the grace to do what was needed. Acknowledging our weakness in not admitting to defeat. It is an opportunity to show the awesomeness of God’s grace and power to work in us and through us. He desires that we provide Him with a vessel, an earthen vessel to do what He wants to accomplish in us and in the world around us. 

Be Still and Know

 Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth!”

God is in control! We often find ourselves fretting over many things, and truth be told, many of the things we fret over are created in our imagination. That is not to say that there can be some pretty big things in our lives that can cause us to be concerned about. Human nature is to seek solutions, so we run about looking for ways to solve what unsettles us. The old saying, “The Lord helps them, that helps themselves.” has some merit to it, but there are times and situations where God is the only one that can make it happen, He desires that we stop trying to work it out through human manipulation, and trust Him to do the work. Let God be God, He is the mighty God, the first and the last, and things often happen to give God the opportunity to step in and take control that His name will be glorified and be exalted.  God says, “Be still, and watch me work.” He is able, praise Him, and exalt His Name!      

The Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

There will come a day when the wheel of time we stop and ceases to turn, that Jesus will be all that remains. He who controls time and space will be sitting on the throne . He is the Lord of all, King of kings, His Name will be lifted up on high and all will recognize that He is God. All will worship Him, will see the folly of their way and the deception of Satan. The atheist, the agnostic, worshipers of false religions, and all who refuse to believe in Him will fall to their knees and confess that He and He alone is the only way to eternal life. Those who believe already have bowed their knees, kneeling at the foot of the cross, confessing their sinful state and asking Jesus to save them from eternal damnation.  Confessing the Name of Jesus and believing that He is God and the Savior of the world. The Christian has humbled himself before God can now approach the throne of God and speak Jesus to the Father. For in the Name of Jesus, all is well, and we can trust in His Name to do all things according to His will.

My Grace is Sufficient

 2 Corinth 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul, the great Apostle of Jesus Christ was given a “thorn in the flesh” that was a constant temptation to question his faith. Satan used it against him to weaken his resolve. It is not clear what this “thorn in the flesh” was, but it was big enough that Paul requested 3 times for it to be removed. Paul surmised that it was put there to keep him humbled and depended on Christ. It reminded him how human he was, and how great God’s grace is to help him in his suffering, and overcome the obstacles that are set before him. When we come to the end of our endurance, realize the weakness of our humanity, His grace is sufficient. Sometimes God has to bring us to that place in our lives when we must trust in the power of Christ to see us through. The mighty arm of the flesh will fail us. Man’s ego, when not submitted to God can cause us to depend on our own strength and abilities, like Nebuchadnezzar, we can be exalted above measure. Paul asked that this thorn be removed, but God’s will was for it to remain. Paul, a man of prayer and faith, did not question God, but accepted God's control and will over his life. Things will come into our lives that will be a “thorn in the flesh”, But Christ, who knows what is best for us, says, “My grace is sufficient, keep trusting Me.”

I Will Praise Him

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

We praise Him not because we feel like it. Praising the Lord and exalting His name is not necessarily a cause and effect action. Yes, He is good and does wonderful things and for this we praise Him, but praise is an attitude of the heart. Even when things are not going so good we praise Him. Even when life seems to be given us lemons and nothing appears to be working out. With purpose and will, we make the choice to praise Him in spite of all that is happening. We praise Him because He is God and is worthy of our praise. I don’t claim to understand all the workings of God, and I certainly don’t have all the answers to the “why” and “why nots” of life, but this one thing I know, God is love and He is all that I need to make life complete. For this, I will praise Him.

Fix Our Heart On God

Psalm 57:5,7 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth… My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Many people are fixed on the things of this world. Fixed on this temporal life. Pleasure, power, or personal gain occupied our time and attention from the time we wake till the time we lay our heads on our pillow. On the other spectrum, there are those that are fixed on their problems, trails and disappointments in life. Life is not fair, and their heart is fixed with bitterness toward all that seem to have it better and ultimately toward God. Life happens, and it is not always fair, but what is fair is that we all have a choice to fix our heart on Jesus, and lift up our heart in praise. Exalt the Name of Jesus. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name” Where our treasures, so is our heart. Who do you treasure in life? Fixed your heart on God and praise Him for all He has done.

Be Still Before God

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

We live busy lives, from the time we get up to the time we lay our head to rest we have things that need to get done. If you are a working person that needs to be at work on a schedule time, your life is centered around the clock. Work and responsibilities keeps our minds focus on the task at hand. Where is there time to be still? Most of us will not find stillness unless we make time for it in our day. For some, it is waking up before the sun rises, for others, it is after the lights are off and we reflect on our day. God is not restricted to meet with us by our schedule. He is omnipresent and can meet with us wherever we are, but there is virtue in putting aside the earthly things of life, and taking time to be still before Him. In the stillness, we worship Him for who He is and what He can do, When we get still before Him and muse on the things of God, He can speak to us in that still small voice. Getting to know God will require us to find time to be still before Him. Let us examine our lives, and find time to be still. 

Be Still

Psalm 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Life moves so quickly and everyday is filled with things to do.  Finding time to stop and get still before God becomes even more important than ever. Getting to know God does not happen by accident. If we desire to know Him in a way that is personal, we need to find a place to be alone with Him. Take time out of our busy schedule to think on His power, love, mercy, and grace. Take time to praise Him for who He is and exalt His name. Put way the things in our lives that clutter our thoughts just for a moment, and let our heart be warmed by His presences. Solace is found when we can empty ourselves and let God fill us with His Spirit. Like a river, He desires to flow in us and through us. 

My Heart is Fixed

Psalm 57:7  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

As a tree's roots are planted deep by the waters, so is my heart fixed on you Lord. As David was in the cave of despair, he knew that the God that he served watched over him with love and mercy. David gave up on those around him, but he would not give up on serving and praising God. His heart was fixed on the eternal God who was exalted above the heavens. We all have moments where we just want to quit trying and walk away. The load of responsibility and the weight of doing without seeing any gain is discouraging. It is easy to get your eyes fixed on the circumstances that are happening around you and forget that we live to serve and worship the Creator. We serve others because we know it is right, and by doing so, we serve God. Yes, there will be times, that we will feel we are doing it all alone, and the pain of loneliness is real, but if we keep our heart fixed on God, He will meet our needs. 

Spiritual Pride

Luke 18:14…for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Guarding against spiritual pride requires discernment of knowing what God requires of you is not always required of someone else. As we become more God conscience, it is easy to assume that everyone else should be following our footsteps. God’s word is clear on many issues on how we should live as we draw closer to God, He reveals more of His word to us. But not everyone is on the same spiritual journey. Staying humble before God requires that we acknowledge our righteousness is of God, and without Him we are lost and most wretched. As we humble ourselves before a holy God, He imparts to us His holiness and give us the grace to live pleasing to Him. Living and being right only happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives. When He comes, we look at humanity differently. We reach out in love and kindness, showing the grace of God to those who need God. We do not condone sin, for God hates sin, but it is the job of the Holy Spirit to judge the world of sin, it is our job to point others to the One who can save us from our sins.

Still Before God

Psalm 46: 10 “ Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted on the earth.”- 

Getting still before God “allows us to admit our failures, weaknesses, and limitations to the One who responds to human vulnerability with infinite mercy.” In the stillness of night or day, God can arrest our attention. We live in a rushed and hurried world, slaved to the ticking clock of time. There is so much we feel that needs to be done. People to see, places to go, and pleasures to achieve. But in the busyness of life we don’t take time to be still and pray. Even as I write, the timer on my computer is telling me that it is time to move on, work is calling. But we must take time to quiet our minds and listen to what God has to say. Time to know God and read His word. Taking time before God reveals our deepest need of how helpless we are and how dependent we are on Him. 

God is Good

Isaiah 25:1 “O Lord, Thou art my God. I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”- 

When things go wrong, we so quickly are asking God “Why?” We sometimes go days without facing a severe trail or misfortune and fail to recognize the goodness of God for His blessings. I praise Him because He is God and His mercy and goodness is ever present. I will lift His name on high in the good times and in the difficult times because God is good. His miracles of goodness are with us everyday. On purpose this Sunday morning, I will praise Him! Things may not be going exactly the way I would like them to go, but I serve a good God who has been with me in my journey of life. His faithfulness is true and He has never failed. God is good, all the time. He knows the way that I take, and I praise Him because He cares about me and knows what I need. He will not let me down, and it is my desire that I praise Him even in the storm and rough times. I will praise Him because He is good!

Ordinary People

Judges 6:15,16 “And he said unto Him, “Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said unto him, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”-

God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Many times those things never get noticed by others. Our name may never be splashed on the news headline or make the evening news. Our name may never be called out from the pulpit extolling the things we do for the Lord. There is a work for each one of us to do in God’s kingdom. Gideon was a might man of valor, He had the courage to fight for what was right and do what was right even when things didn’t look good. He was a brave man, yet not a man of high statue. But, Gideon was willing to listen and obey God, and in due season, he was exalted in honor and position. We may never get the recognition for what we do, but God honors those who will follow and do His will. It is God who lifts up and brings down. The 300 men that stood by Gideon were never mentioned by name in scripture, but God use them to accomplish a great work. We may not always understand why God has us where we are, but He has a plan and we are to trust Him to make it happen. We are vessels that God can use for any purpose He chooses. It may not be a very pretty vessel, but in the hands of God it can be used to accomplish great things. “I’m nothing special, but with God all things are possible”