“How do we receive anything from the Lord?” One word: “Humility”

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In the next four posts, we will present Biblical truths filtered down to us through real-life experience.

And there will be something quite extraordinary that results—something real-life; something that cannot be denied, which we will present after the fourth post.

For most of us, however, this will be outside of our own experiences or those of the main lines of our church traditions.

And this can, obviously, be a problem.

Namely, it may cause us to question whether we should, in fact, receive what God has for us; whether we should hone in on the Biblical truths presented to us…since they may…possibly…cause us to question our own kind-of-self-secure syntheses as ‘good Christian people.’

And so, in the deep inner tension that results, we may respond by directing that same tension outward in a newfound path of resisting, even rejecting and weaponizing against those speaking them, taking up in some sort of a blessed witch hunt to uphold the ‘orthodoxy’ of our traditions.

For laying aside (aphiémi, Lit. ‘letting go of’) the commandment of God, ye hold (krateó: Lit. ‘place under one's grasp,’ ‘seize,’ ‘put under one’s own control’) the tradition of men (Mark 7:8).

That is to say, we revert to our spheres of control.

To that, we would say to you and ourselves the word from the Apostle:

Examine yourselves (peirazó), whether ye be in the faith

And still further,

Prove your own selves (dokimazo).

Do you not know your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you have failed the test of genuine faith? (adókimos, II Cor 13:5)

The only way, then, that we can receive what the Lord has for us—because He always has something for us…if we are but willing to receive it—is through Humility.

Again, the saying of Anthony:

Abba Anthony said, "I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, "What can get through from such snares?"

Then I heard a voice saying to me, 'Humility.'"

And this is exactly what a massively well known spinal surgeon said to us (after he had resigned from his hospital position when offered by that same system a multi-million dollar deal) to then become…a physician…of souls.

“The only way,” he said to us, “you can receive anything from the Lord is through humility—The only way.”

Amen.

So may it be!