Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 26
Saturday


DOWN THE
UP STAIRCASE

READ:
2 Chronicles 12:1-8
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If My people...will
humble themselves, and
pray...and turn from
their wicked ways, then
I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin.
__2 Chronicles 7:14
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The video starts with a puppy at the top of the stairs afraid to go down. Despite much encouragement from people cheering at the bottom, Daisy can't figure it out. she wants so badly to join them, but fear keeps her pacing the landing. Then a bigger dog comes to help. Simon runs up the steps and then back down, showing Daisy how easy it is. Daisy is not convinced. Simon tries again. This time more slowly. Then he watches Daisy try again. But Daisy still is too scared. Once again Simon goes to the top and demonstrates the technique. Finally Daisy dares to let her back legs follow the front ones. Simon stays beside her. she makes it. Everyone celebrates!

What a beautiful picture of discipleship. We spend much of our time trying to teach others to climb up, but the more important, and more difficult, thing to learn is how to "go down." Throughout Scripture we read that God desires humility of us. Because the people of Judah humbled themselves, the Lord said, "Therefore I will not destroy them" (2 Chron. 12:7).

On numerous occasions, God demonstrated humility by coming down (Ex. 3:7-8; 19:10-12; Micah 1:3). Finally God sent Jesus, who spent his life teaching the technique we are to follow (Phil. 2:5-11). __Julie Ackerman Link

````````````````````````````More like he master I would ever be,```````````````````````````
```````````````````````````More of His meekness, more humility;```````````````````````````
````````````````````````More zeal to labor, more courage to be true,`````````````````````````
```````````````````More consecration for work he bids me do. __Gabriel```````````````````````
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No one will learn anything at all
unless he first learns humility.

*****************************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Chronicles 12:1-8*****************************
1 Now it came to pass,
when Rehoboam had
established the kingdom
and had strengthened
himself, that he forsook the
law of the LORD, and all
Israel along with him. 2 And
it happened in the fifth year
of King Rehoboam that
Shishak king of Egypt came
up against Jerusalem,
because they had
transgressed against the
LORD.... 4 And he took
the fortified cities of Judah
and came to Jerusalem.

5 Then Shemaiah the
prophet came to Rehoboam
and the leaders of Judah,
who were gathered together
in Jerusalem becasue of
Shishak, and said to them,
"Thus says the LORD: 'You
have forsakem Me, and
therefore I also have left
you in the hand of
Shishak.' "

6 So the leaders of Israel
and the king humbled
themselves; and they said,
"The LORD is righteous."

7 Now when the LORD saw
that they humbled
themselves, the word of the
LORD came to Shemaiah,
saying, "They have
humbled themselves;
therefore I will not destroy
them, but I will grant them
some deliverance. My wrath
shall not be poured out on
Jerusalem by the hand of
Shishak. 8 Nevertheless they
will be his servants, that
they may distinguish My
service from the service of
the kingdoms of the
nations."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The Scriptures reveal how God responds to the humble heart. When
King Rehoboam humbled himself, God responded by providing
deliverance (v.7). in 2 Chronicles 1, King Solomon was given an
invitation to ask God for anything he desired but requested only
wisdom to rule his people. Because of his humble request, God chose
to give him the additional blessings of wealth and honor (vv.6-12).