The Big Hand and the Little Hand

A mother had been teaching her son how to tell time. She saw him walk into the kitchen and called from the other room, “Johnny, do you see the clock in the kitchen?” “Yes, Mommy.”

“What is the big hand on?” 

The boy looked at the clock. “Eleven,” he yelled. 

“Good. Now, what’s the little hand on?” He answered, “A cookie.”

The little hands and the big hand are both involved in what happens on earth. The little hand is the human hand (our free will) and the big hand is God’s hand (God's sovereignty), which can overrule what the little hands do. When the Lowly little hands are doing their dirty work, it takes faith to see God's big hand being in charge. He has the Upper Hand.

When Joseph’s brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery (little hands), God overruled their actions an exalted Joseph as a ruler in Egypt (big hand).

When Ezra traveled to Jerusalem, they arrived safely because “the hand of God (big hand) was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy (little hands)” (Ezra 8:31).

When the religious leaders of Israel crucified Jesus (little hands), Jesus paid for the sins of the world and God raised Him from the dead (big hand).  

That’s why the Scripture says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6). The hand of God works in agreement with the heart of God. God’s hand is His power and God’s heart is His love. When you can’t see His hand at work, trust His heart.

What have the dirty little hands done to you? Stop looking at the little hands and keep your eye on God's big hand. His Upper Hand will work all things together for good (Rom. 8:28).

For much more on the big hand and the little hand, read The Sure Cure for Worry.

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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NEW SERMON:  “The Good Samaritan” (You know the story, but do you know all the details?)

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

The Humility Test, Part 2

Jesus said, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). The Humility Test will reveal areas of pride in our hearts. See last week for Part 1.

Question #5: Do you have trouble submitting to authority? Yes or No

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable” (1 Peter 2:13,18). Anyone can submit if we agree with those in authority, it’s when those masters are unreasonable that we have the problem. The only way we can submit to unreasonable authorities is through a humble heart that seeks to please the Lord.

Question #6: Are you unwilling to do humiliating jobs? Yes or No

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:43–44). This statement was revolutionary. No one had ever taught humility was a virtue and a slave was important.

Humility is willing to do any job God asks no matter how insignificant or undignified it might be. Being a servant doesn’t necessarily mean having a lowly position, but having a lowly heart. A person can be in a high position and still maintain a servant’s heart.

Question #7: Do you look down on anyone? Yes or No

Pride sets itself up in a higher position so it can look down on others. Humility never looks down on anyone. God tells us to regard others as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). Humility doesn’t mean we put ourselves down, but we lift others up. All people are equally valuable in God’s eyes, but from our viewpoint others should be considered as more significant.

Question #8: Do you brag about your strengths instead of weaknesses? Yes or No

Admitting our weaknesses opens the way to receive God’s power. Paul said, “I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9). Although it’s tempting to brag about our achievements, it’s better to keep silent and let the accomplishments speak for themselves. A chicken lays one egg and cackles about it, while a salmon lays 10,000 eggs and doesn’t say a word.

Grading Your Test

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, those are areas of pride in your life. “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:5–6)

The only one who can humble “yourself” is yourself. Humility shines the spotlight on God, not ourselves. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

The Humility Test, Part 1

Jesus said, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). We have tests for nearly everything in life, but what about a test for pride? The Humility Test will detect areas of pride in our hearts.

Question #1: Do you depend on yourself more than God? Yes or No

Humility means being completely dependent on God to strengthen us (Rom. 5:2). A pastor was riding on a bus seated next to a college student. The minister asked, “Are you spiritually ready for the temptations that you’ll face in college?”

“I won’t have a problem,” the student replied, “I have strong willpower.”

The minister said, “I can make a pencil stand up on this book cover even though the road is bumpy.” The student said, “No way. You can’t do it.”

The pastor held the pencil up with his hand. The student said, “But you didn’t tell me you would hold it with your hand.” The pastor said. “Have you ever seen a pencil stand up on its own without someone holding it?” He let go of the pencil, which instantly fell over. The minister told him, “The only way you can stand is if God is holding you up with His hand.”

Question #2: Do you get upset when you don’t receive recognition? Yes or No

Pride loves to be worshipped. It craves attention and is greatly offended when it is overlooked. Jesus asked the Pharisees, “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (John 5:44). It’s not wrong to graciously receive recognition for job well done but don’t take pride in it.

Question #3: Do you think you deserve a higher position? Yes or No

When we humble ourselves, we understand that God determines who gets promoted and who doesn’t. “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another” (Psalm 75:6). This means we shouldn’t be envious of those who are promoted, or be the least bit upset if we are passed over for promotion. Advancing to a higher position is ultimately in God’s hands.

Question #4: Do you compare yourself with others to find your self-worth? Yes or No

“When they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12). If we compare ourselves with others we will become proud or discouraged—and neither are from God.   To be continued next week….

For more about the Humility Test and God rewarding humble people in heaven read Making Today Count for Eternity    www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett 

Remembering & Forgetting, Part 2

Remembering means we choose the thoughts we dwell on. God wants us to remember some things and forget some things. Remembering will bring up feelings from the past—whether they’re good or bad.

Deut. 6:12 says, “Watch yourself that you do not forget the Lord.” Some people can go through the whole day and never think about God. Some can go an entire week without thinking about Him. We forget God by widening the gaps in time when we think about Him. We need to recall these three things:

1. Remember God’s faithfulness. God told Israel to remember how He faithfully led them through the wilderness (Deut.8:2). If we don’t remember God in the wilderness (hard times), then we won’t remember Him in the Promised Land (good times). If you are going through a time of uncertainty, remember that “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thess. 5:24).

2. Remember God’s goodness. A man gave some candy to a little girl. The girl didn't say anything, so her mother said, "What do you say?" The girl said, "Do you have any more?" When God blesses us we need to remember to thank Him. 

Before Israel entered the Promised Land, God told them, “You will bless (thank) the Lord your God for the good land He has given you” (Deut. 8:10). He then warned them that they might forget Him after they received all His blessings: “Beware lest you forget the Lord your God…lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them…when all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud and you forget the Lord your God” (Deut. 8:11-14). Remember that God is the source of your blessings.

3. Remember that you’re God’s child.  When you received Jesus as your Lord, you became His child, He forgave all your sins, gave you eternal life, and gave you His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). You have a new status in God’s eyes. Don’t forget that.

I’ve learned that I can remember these things by reading His Word every day, staying in contact with Him through prayer, and recalling all the good things He has done for me. It will work for you too. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

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NEW STUDY: What is the Q Document?

WATCH MUSIC VIDEO “No Longer Slaves to Fear” by 3b4joy

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Remembering & Forgetting, Part 1

A sign in a psychiatrist’s office read “Amnesia patients must pay in advance.” God wants us to remember some things and forget some things. The problem is we forget the things we need to remember, and we remember the things we are supposed to forget. Forgetting means that we choose to let go and stop thinking about a bad memory so we can get on with life. The apostle Paul told us, “Forgetting what lies behind” (Phil. 3:13). Here are 3 things to forget:

1. Forget your past sins. Do you feel guilty about something you did? When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, He forgave all your sins and wiped the slate completely clean. God says, “I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12). We have no right to remember what God has forgotten.

2. Forget your past hurts. If you hold on to your hurts, you will eventually become bitter. Unforgiveness means you won’t let go of what someone did to you. Stop hitting the “play” button on the DVR in your mind. Make a decision to let go of your hurt, place the hurtful situation in God’s hands and stop talking about it.

3. Forget your past regrets. Regret means you keep kicking yourself over decisions you should have made, or shouldn’t have made. However, your decision or indecision didn’t take God by surprise. Ephesians 1:11 says God “works all things after the counsel of His will.” You can’t change anything in your past, but God can lead you from where you are right now. 

The rest of your life can be the best of your life if you’ll stop recalling things God wants you to forget. Next week we’ll examine things we need to remember. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net

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Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett