Weekly Devotional - Steve
Devotional - 6/22/2025
VERSE:
Psalm 45:11 “He says, be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
THOUGHTS:
I was making coffee, preparing to start this devotional. I grabbed a filter and started to fill the coffee pot with water. I thought, “I need to pray about God speaking to me; what would he have me say about Sunday’s message. After all Pastor Pete did mention three words that no one wants to think they have an issue with. EGO! PRIDE! ARROGANCE!” Before the first words of prayer, I heard a voice in my head asking me if making coffee was more important than giving God my full attention in prayer? Be still and know that I am God. I turned off the water, sat the coffee pot down, and spent some moments in prayer only.
When I reviewed the message, I noted that Pastor Pete had said for us to not be so consumed with the voices of the world that we cannot hear God’s still small voice.” I realized that by trying to make coffee and pray at the same time, I was saying my time was more important than God’s time. Maybe a little ego or arrogance here(ouch!)
As I was dealing with my thoughts, I recalled the story of King Nebuchadnezzar found in the book of Daniel chapters 2-4. I see him as an example of someone who had issues with ego, pride, and arrogance in his encounters with God. He praises God for a moment, and then goes on with his life. His first encounter is a dream where he is told that God has made him a king of kings with great power. He praises God and falls prostrate. He orders an offering to be made.
In his second encounter, Nebuchadnezzar builds an image of gold. He orders that when all kinds of instruments are played, everyone must fall down and worship the image of gold, or they will be thrown into a fiery furnace. (The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.) In short, these three refuse to bow, and even say that their God can save them from death in the furnace. Into the furnace they go. They are not burnt. They are removed from the furnace and once again King Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God’s authority over all.
Time passes and Nebuchadnezzar has another dream. The interpretation is that he will speak out in pride and arrogance. His words will cause him to be driven from his kingdom and he will graze upon grass like oxen. He will live like this until he recognizes God’s authority. It happens as predicted. The ending is told by King Nebuchadnezzar. “At the end of the time, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Lord Most High… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Did you notice that he did not say I, “King” Nebuchadnezzar?
CONCLUSSION:
Pastor Pete warned us about addictions to things that grow our ego, pride, and arrogance. He cautioned us about the potential influences this stuff can have on us and our thinking. He said, “Never allow our thinking to be influenced by the voices of this world.” I take this as for us to not allow the world to impact our relationship with God.
The world wants us to focus on me, me, me. Time spent with God teaches us what he thinks about us, who he created us to be, and how we are to serve. Without time spent with God, how do we learn to hear his voice? How do we grow? How does the church grow? How do we stand together? How do we put others first?
So, do you recognize and listen to what the world is telling you? Or do you recognize God’s leading. Will you respond to his direction, or wait until after you have been grazing in the pasture before you recognize his authority and leading?
In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus tells his disciples the following. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Your brother in Christ,
Steve Grigg
VERSE:
Psalm 45:11 “He says, be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
THOUGHTS:
I was making coffee, preparing to start this devotional. I grabbed a filter and started to fill the coffee pot with water. I thought, “I need to pray about God speaking to me; what would he have me say about Sunday’s message. After all Pastor Pete did mention three words that no one wants to think they have an issue with. EGO! PRIDE! ARROGANCE!” Before the first words of prayer, I heard a voice in my head asking me if making coffee was more important than giving God my full attention in prayer? Be still and know that I am God. I turned off the water, sat the coffee pot down, and spent some moments in prayer only.
When I reviewed the message, I noted that Pastor Pete had said for us to not be so consumed with the voices of the world that we cannot hear God’s still small voice.” I realized that by trying to make coffee and pray at the same time, I was saying my time was more important than God’s time. Maybe a little ego or arrogance here(ouch!)
As I was dealing with my thoughts, I recalled the story of King Nebuchadnezzar found in the book of Daniel chapters 2-4. I see him as an example of someone who had issues with ego, pride, and arrogance in his encounters with God. He praises God for a moment, and then goes on with his life. His first encounter is a dream where he is told that God has made him a king of kings with great power. He praises God and falls prostrate. He orders an offering to be made.
In his second encounter, Nebuchadnezzar builds an image of gold. He orders that when all kinds of instruments are played, everyone must fall down and worship the image of gold, or they will be thrown into a fiery furnace. (The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.) In short, these three refuse to bow, and even say that their God can save them from death in the furnace. Into the furnace they go. They are not burnt. They are removed from the furnace and once again King Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God’s authority over all.
Time passes and Nebuchadnezzar has another dream. The interpretation is that he will speak out in pride and arrogance. His words will cause him to be driven from his kingdom and he will graze upon grass like oxen. He will live like this until he recognizes God’s authority. It happens as predicted. The ending is told by King Nebuchadnezzar. “At the end of the time, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Lord Most High… Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.” Did you notice that he did not say I, “King” Nebuchadnezzar?
CONCLUSSION:
Pastor Pete warned us about addictions to things that grow our ego, pride, and arrogance. He cautioned us about the potential influences this stuff can have on us and our thinking. He said, “Never allow our thinking to be influenced by the voices of this world.” I take this as for us to not allow the world to impact our relationship with God.
The world wants us to focus on me, me, me. Time spent with God teaches us what he thinks about us, who he created us to be, and how we are to serve. Without time spent with God, how do we learn to hear his voice? How do we grow? How does the church grow? How do we stand together? How do we put others first?
So, do you recognize and listen to what the world is telling you? Or do you recognize God’s leading. Will you respond to his direction, or wait until after you have been grazing in the pasture before you recognize his authority and leading?
In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus tells his disciples the following. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Your brother in Christ,
Steve Grigg
Recent
Archive
2025
January
March
April
May
2024
March
June
July
August
2023
March
August
Categories
no categories