1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian 2 - Blessed are the poor in spirit | Page 9

have some advantages in spiritual matters; they are not tempted to be distracted
from the things of God while they are trying to protect their wealth. They do not
suffer the same temptations to continually have to make more. And at the end of
the day, I know they worry about some things, but they don’t have to worry
about all their stuff. To those who have been blessed financially, only time will
tell whether this supposed blessing is in fact a blessing, or could it be a curse as
well. When prosperity gets corrupted, it can lead to pride and a judgemental
spirit. Watch out therefore, for the humble-pie that might be around the corner.
Blessedness is primarily a spiritual condition and to those who have financial
resources won’t you remember the responsibility you have to administer these
“blessings” with generosity and compassion.
Prayer Thought: Be careful that you do not measure God’s blessing in your life by
your circumstances. We measure God’s blessing in our lives by the cross and that
alone. Think and pray into this today.

Saturday
Reading: Numbers 20
We continue today on the theme of the enemies to humility, there are two more.
Enemy SEVEN: Applause gone wrong. So many times in the book of Proverbs
we are warned about the corrupted effect of flattery. There is not one amongst
us who, if we’re honest, does not enjoy the praise of other people, but this praise,
when it is turned internally, can mess up so easily God’s intentions and purposes
for your life. In Numbers 20 Moses was having a battle, not with a physical
enemy, but with his ego. God told Moses to speak to the rock to supply water to
the Israelites. Moses must have thought, “If water comes out of the rock because
I speak to it that would give God the glory, after all do I not deserve some of the
credit?” He then took the stick and hit the rock twice. God was gracious in
honouring His promise to give the people water, but Moses learnt the lesson:
don’t touch the glory of God. Moses would have remembered the time back in
the wilderness when he brought water out of the rock and received the applause
of the people; it was this desire for self-recognition that caused him to go in the
face of God’s glory and keep it for himself.