Humility is a prerequisite for attaining greatness.

Pride is a dream stopper.

Join me in this study to explore what pride is, how it presents, its consequences and how to avoid pride..

1. Recognize WHO He is- God is inherently good, faithful, merciful, loving, He is a covenant/promise keeper.
   He is trustworthy. “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” Deuteronomy 7:9 NKJV
2. Remember WHAT He’s done before- If He came through once, He will do it again.
   He is reliable/dependable. “Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 1Samuel 17:37 NKJV
3. Realize WHY He made you- God created and made you for a reason and He is committed to establishing that reason.
   He sees your end from the beginning and He is walking you towards His expected end for your life.
   God has your best interest at heart.
   • “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
     Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NLT

What if I told you that ‘God already knew about whatever it is you are experiencing right now, whether pleasant or unpleasant? ‘ He knew about them long before they happened, before you were even born.

Below, are 4 different translations of Psalm 139:16..

“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.“
Psalms 139:16 NLT

“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were appointed for me, When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].”
Psalms 139:16 AMP

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.’
Psalms 139:16 NKJV

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”
Psalm 139:13‭-‬16 MSG

Anyhow we choose to read this verse of Psalms, there are at least 4 things it tells us…

1. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb.

2. He had a definite plan and Purpose for your Life, before proceeding to forming you in your mother’s womb.

3. There is a Number of days apportioned to you in this life by God. Nobody should tell you how much longer you have to live if they haven’t discussed with God (selah).

4. Your daily experiences (good or bad) do not surprise God because He knew about them long before you were born. He saw your days afar off even before they came to be.

I don’t know how reading this makes you feel, but for me I am reassured that every Stage of my life, every Day of my life and every Moment of my life are continually before God. He knew about them before they came to be. And being that God is Good, and He only has good in Him, then I choose to believe that God’s plans for me are good.

Irrespective of what you are experiencing today, God already planned an expected end for you….in Him.

So, look beyond today, see beyond your unpleasant or bad experiences of today. There’s a tomorrow coming after today and it’s coming with good….in Christ..for you. Your story will end well because God already planned a good end for you, plans of good, not of evil…

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Friends, God’s got your back! His thoughts towards you are of peace, they are good, they have no evil in them, they will lead you to the beautiful future He’s planned for you…in Him.

The temptations (and troubles) of life which come to derail you from God’s good plan and purpose will fail if you stay with God, walk with God and trust God, He will make a way of escape for you (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What stage, day or moment of life are you currently at? Pleasant? Praise God! Unpleasant? Praise God, trust God, He’s got you. Your times and seasons are in His hands (Psalms 31:15).

I love John 17:23….

“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.“
John 17:23 NKJV

If Christ is in Us and the Father is in Christ, then we are kept safe in the Father through Christ.

Halleluyah!

Prayer

Father, I trust your good thoughts, plans and purpose for my life. I will stay with You, walk with You and trust You to lead me to my glorious destiny in You.

Abraham entrusted his life to God and His Word…..when you trust someone, you believe them even when you don’t fully understand…… So even without understanding where God was leading him to, Abraham trusted and obeyed. He didn’t know where God was leading him to, he didn’t fully understand what God was doing, however, he submitted himself and his life to God’s control and leading. He accepted/believed the Word of God as true in his spirit (faith) and he judged God as capable and reliable in his mind and thinking (trust). Abraham had faith in God’s Word and he trusted God to fulfill His promise.

This new week, wait on the Lord. Trust Him. Trust Him, in your job, career, studies, business, relationships, etc. And may that trust breed faith in you, fully anchored on hope and expectancy, to take God-inspired actions, that are sustained by patience, endurance and active persistence. Victory is inevitable!