Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 20 - True Strength, Real Humility
Transcript
- 0:02Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
- 0:06rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, February 20th.
- 0:11True strength. Real humility.
- 0:13You know that rush when things finally go your way, you win.
- 0:17You're noticed, you feel like you're on top.
- 0:19It feels good to be strong, confident, capable.
- 0:23But if we're honest, that same moment can quietly plant
- 0:25pressure in US. The pressure to keep proving
- 0:29ourselves, the fear of falling from that place, the temptation
- 0:33to believe we did it all on our own.
- 0:35That's where scripture lovingly steps in to reframe what real
- 0:39strength actually is. Proverbs Chapter 11 verse 2 says
- 0:43when pride comes, then comes disgrace.
- 0:46But with the humble is wisdom. Pride always over promises and
- 0:50under delivers. It tells you that you're secure
- 0:53because of your ability, your talent, your reputation.
- 0:56But pride is fragile. It cracks the moment something
- 0:59goes wrong. Humility, on the other hand,
- 1:02doesn't mean thinking less of yourself.
- 1:05It means knowing where your strength truly comes from.
- 1:08And that kind of humility brings wisdom.
- 1:10It steadies you. Psalm 21 shows us this
- 1:14beautifully. Psalm chapter 21, verse 7 says
- 1:18the King trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of
- 1:21the Most High, he shall not be moved.
- 1:24Notice what makes the King unshakeable.
- 1:26Not his crown, not his power, not his victories, his trust in
- 1:31God's love. That's the kind of confidence
- 1:34that doesn't collapse when circumstances change.
- 1:37When your security is rooted in God, Success doesn't make you
- 1:41arrogant, and failure doesn't destroy you.
- 1:44Then we see this truth lived out with incredible clarity in Acts
- 1:47chapter 20. Paul is speaking near the end of
- 1:50his journey and he says something striking in Acts
- 1:53chapter 20 verse 24. He says that he does not
- 1:57consider his life of any value to himself if only he may finish
- 2:01his course and the ministry he received from the Lord Jesus.
- 2:05Paul isn't saying his life doesn't matter.
- 2:08He's saying his purpose matters more than his comfort.
- 2:12His mission matters more than his reputation.
- 2:15His focus isn't on protecting himself, but on being faithful
- 2:18to what God entrusted to him. That's real strength.
- 2:22Strength that isn't obsessed with being seen.
- 2:25Strength that isn't shaken by applause or criticism.
- 2:28Strength that comes from knowing who you belong to and why you're
- 2:31here. In everyday life, Humility looks
- 2:35like giving God credit when things go well.
- 2:38It looks like staying teachable instead of defensive.
- 2:41It looks like serving others even when no one is watching.
- 2:45And it looks like staying focused on God's purpose for
- 2:48your life, not just chasing what makes you look successful.
- 2:51God isn't asking you to shrink. He's inviting you to be rooted.
- 2:56When you trust Him, walk humbly and live for His purpose, you
- 2:59discover a strength that lasts, a strength that doesn't need to
- 3:02prove itself, a strength that finishes the course Well.
- 3:06Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for
- 3:09showing me that real strength comes from You.
- 3:12Guard my heart from pride and teach me to walk in humility
- 3:15whether life is going well or feels uncertain.
- 3:19Help me to trust in your steadfast love and not be shaken
- 3:22by circumstances like Paul. Help me to stay focused on the
- 3:26mission you've given me and to live with wisdom and purpose.
- 3:30I want my life to honor you every step of the way in Jesus
- 3:34name, Amen. What if the way you pray changed
- 3:38because you truly knew who God is?
- 3:41The Supreme God Part 1 is an 8 book devotional and prayer
- 3:44journey that unveils the power, presence and glory of God
- 3:48through his biblical names. In Elohim you encounter God, the
- 3:52Mighty Creator who forms and sustains all things.
- 3:55Yahweh draws you into relationship with the Eternal I
- 3:58AM who is present and faithful. Adonai calls you to surrender to
- 4:02the Lord and Master who leads and directs your steps.
- 4:05El Elian reveals the God Most High, exalted above every power
- 4:10and authority. El Shaddai introduces the all
- 4:13sufficient God who nourishes and strengthens you.
- 4:16El Olam anchors your faith in the everlasting God whose
- 4:19purposes never fail. Elroy assures you that you are
- 4:22seen, known, and cared for by a compassionate father.
- 4:26And El Gabor awakens confidence in the mighty God who defends,
- 4:30delivers, and prevails. Through Scripture, devotional
- 4:33insight, and prophetic prayer scripts, this series teaches you
- 4:36to pray from revelation, worship with understanding, and walk
- 4:39boldly in God's character. If you're ready to elevate your
- 4:43prayer life and rediscover the God you serve or to the Supreme
- 4:46God Part One on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org to begin
- 4:50your. Journey Now I invite you to
- 4:53spend time with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
- 4:58Proverbs Chapter 11 verse 2 World English Bible.
- 5:01When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes
- 5:04wisdom. Psalm chapter 21.
- 5:07World English Bible for the chief musician.
- 5:10A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your
- 5:13strength. Yahweh.
- 5:14How greatly he rejoices in your salvation.
- 5:17You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the
- 5:20request of his lips. Selah.
- 5:22For you meet him with the blessings of goodness.
- 5:25You set a crown of fine gold on his head.
- 5:27He asked life of you, and you gave it to Him even length of
- 5:30days, forever and ever. His glory is great in your
- 5:33salvation. You lay honor and majesty on
- 5:36Him, for you make Him most blessed forever.
- 5:38You make Him glad with joy in your presence.
- 5:41For the King trusts in Yahweh through the loving kindness of
- 5:44the Most High. He shall not be moved.
- 5:47Your hand will find out all of your enemies.
- 5:49Your right hand will find out those who hate you.
- 5:52You will make them as a fiery furnace.
- 5:53In the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up.
- 5:56In His wrath. The fire shall devour them.
- 5:59You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
- 6:01their posterity from among the children of men, for they
- 6:04intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you,
- 6:08which cannot succeed, for you will make them turn their back
- 6:11when you aim drawn bows at their face.
- 6:13Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and
- 6:17praise your power. Acts chapter 20 World English
- 6:20Bible. After the uproar had ceased,
- 6:23Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed
- 6:26to go into Macedonia. When he had gone through those
- 6:29parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into
- 6:32Greece. When he had spent three months
- 6:34there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was
- 6:37about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through
- 6:40Macedonia. These accompanied him as far as
- 6:43Asia, Sopator of Berea, Aristarchus and Secondus of the
- 6:47Thessalonians, Gaius of Derb, Timothy, Antigecus, and
- 6:51Trophemus of Asia. But these had gone ahead, and
- 6:54we're waiting for us at Troas. We sailed away from Philippi
- 6:57after the Days of Unleavened Bread and came to them at Troa's
- 7:00in five days, where we stayed seven days.
- 7:03On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered
- 7:06together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to
- 7:10depart on the next day, and continued his speech until
- 7:13midnight. There were many lights in the
- 7:15upper room where we were gathered together.
- 7:17A certain young man named Eudicis sat in the window
- 7:20weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer,
- 7:24being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third
- 7:27floor and was taken up dead. Paul went down and fell upon
- 7:30him, and embracing him said, don't be troubled, for his life
- 7:33is in him. When he had gone up, had broken
- 7:36bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even
- 7:39until break of day, he departed. They brought the boy in alive
- 7:43and were greatly comforted, but we, going ahead to the ship, set
- 7:46sail for Asos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had so
- 7:51arranged intending himself to go by land.
- 7:53When he met us at Asos we took him aboard and came to
- 7:56Middelene, sailing from there we came the following day opposite
- 8:00Chaos. The next day we touched at Samos
- 8:03and stayed at Trajilium, and the day after we came to Myletus.
- 8:07For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not
- 8:10have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening, if it were
- 8:14possible for him to be in Jerusalem on the day of
- 8:17Pentecost. From my leaders he sent to
- 8:19Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly.
- 8:23When they had come to Him, he said to them, You yourselves
- 8:26know from the first day that I set foot in Asia how I was with
- 8:30you all the time, serving the Lord with all humility, with
- 8:33many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the
- 8:36plots of the Jews. How I didn't shrink from
- 8:38declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you
- 8:41publicly and from house to house, testifying both to Jews
- 8:45and to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord
- 8:48Jesus. Now behold, I go bound by the
- 8:51Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
- 8:55except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying
- 8:58that bonds and afflictions wait for me.
- 9:01But these things don't count, nor do I hold my life dear to
- 9:04myself, so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry
- 9:08which I received from the Lord Jesus to fully testify to the
- 9:12good news of the grace of God. Now behold, I know that you all,
- 9:16among whom I went about preaching God's Kingdom, will
- 9:19see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you today
- 9:23that I am clean from the blood of all men, for I didn't shrink
- 9:26from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
- 9:29Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock
- 9:32in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd
- 9:36the assembly of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His
- 9:39own blood. For I know that after my
- 9:41departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing
- 9:44the flock. Men will arise from among your
- 9:47own selves, speaking perverse things to draw away the
- 9:50disciples after them. Therefore watch, remembering
- 9:54that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish
- 9:56everyone night and day with tears.
- 9:59Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of His
- 10:02grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance
- 10:06among all those who are sanctified.
- 10:08I coveted no one's silver, gold, or clothing.
- 10:11You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities and
- 10:14those who were with me in all things.
- 10:16I gave you an example that so laboring you ought to help the
- 10:19weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that He
- 10:22himself said. It is more blessed to give than
- 10:24to receive. When he had spoken these things,
- 10:27he knelt down and prayed with them all.
- 10:29They all wept freely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,
- 10:33sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken,
- 10:36that they should see his face no more than they accompanied him
- 10:39to the ship. Thanks for joining us on Bible
- 10:43Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
- 10:46If today's devotional encouraged you, share it with a friend and
- 10:50be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss the next
- 10:53conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
- 10:56truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.