Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 34

February 3;       I Corinthians 4:7;       34/260(II);       ‘Everything From Him’

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 

How true this verse is.  How satan loves to pervert this verse, deceiving you into thinking that you are responsible for your success or achievements.  Pride got the devil thrown out of heaven and pride will greatly hinder someone from knowing that they need the help of the Lord to have a purposeful life.  The incredible danger of pride, is that pride denies the need for the Lord or anyone else.  The devil does all he can to inflate the ego of those who are successful.  The more famous athletes, Hollywood stars, wealthy businessmen become, the more they feel that they are better than others and the greater their danger of never looking to Jesus.  Because satan hates humanity so, he freely lets the accolades of the famous flow, making it more and more of difficult for those deceived people to seek the salvation only Jesus gives.  Fame and fortune are powerful tools the devil uses so that many we idolize die and go to hell.  The powerful truth this verse teaches is that every physical and mental quality we have has been given to us by the Lord.  If you like basketball and are very tall you have a much better chance of succeeding in the sport than someone who loves the game just as much, but is short.  God made them tall.  The person who has the beautiful voice to sing with.  God gave them that voice.  The man or woman who are incredibly smart, God gave them their brain.  “I worked very hard to achieve what I have achieved in life.”  God gave you the will and the ability to discipline yourself to succeed.  True success is knowing all our blessings are from the Lord, then with His help do His work.