LIGHTHOUSE DAILY DEVOTION
(Sent daily except Sunday)
(Some of the Devotions are original, some are adapted)
April 27, 2021
DO YOU HAVE AN “I” PROBLEM?
Isaiah 14:12-14 - “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Lucifer obviously had an “I” problem. Five times in our text, we see the phrase, “I will.” Pride and self-will were at the very center of his rebellion. God Almighty created Lucifer. As a created being, Lucifer’s purpose and responsibility was to serve and please his Creator. God’s will should have always taken precedence over Satan’s will. However, pride entered in and Lucifer developed an “I” problem. He was not content with God’s will. He insisted on his way. In his arrogance, Lucifer wanted to dethrone God.
God judged Lucifer. He was cast down from his place in Heaven. As a fallen angel, Lucifer became the devil, or Satan. One day, Satan will be banished forever to the Lake of Fire. But, in the meantime, he works feverishly to convince others to reject God and His perfect will. He successfully tempted Adam and Eve to choose their will over God’s will in the Garden of Eden. Since then, he has been deceiving many.
How is it that the devil can be so effective in deceiving people? He uses the very thing that resulted in his banishment from Heaven and from his place of service to the Lord: the “I” problem, a very deceptive and most effective method. If the devil was honest and told people he was planning to route them away from God and His perfect will, and direct them on a journey that would ultimately lead them to ruin and even eternal torment, perhaps many would not follow him. But that is not his scheme. He disguises his intentions. He tempts people to promote themselves. This is very alluring. Just insist on what you want. Demand your rights. Refuse to accept anything other than your way.
Satan convinces men that life is found in satisfying self, while Jesus taught that life is found in denying self. We have to admit that we also have an “I” problem. If we are going to have a meaningful relationship with God, we must be willing to choose His Word, His ways, and His will above ours.
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Wit and Wisdom – Pride will make us believe we are equal to God.
Point to Ponder – A diplomat is a man who can convince his wife she would look too heavy in a fur coat.
