H.O.S.T. is a five part devotion dealing with our attitudes towards God, how we approach Him and the resulting impact on our character and in our lives. Our ultimate goal should always be to honor and glorify God in all we do (thoughts, attitudes, desires, actions and words).
Part 1 was posted on January 19, 2013. Reading Part 1 will provide an overview of this five part series and cover Trait 1 – Humble. Part 2 was posted on January 26 and deals with being Obedient. Trait 3 – Submissive was posted on February 2. And on February 9, the last Trait – Trust was posted.
Part 5 – Self-Reinforcement
With these four basic attitudes associated with our approach to God covered, I want to present a topic I call self-reinforcement. Self-reinforcement is the wonderful truth about how these traits work together to strengthen and sustain each other.
Ø When you humble yourself before God, you will obey Him.
Ø When you obey Him, you develop a submissive attitude.
Ø When you submit to God, you will put your trust in Him.
Ø As you trust Him, you become more submissive.
Ø As you submit to Him, you become more obedient.
Ø As you obey Him, you become more humble.
Now that God has remade you to be more humble, if you continue to die to yourself daily, a never ending Holy Spirit empowered cycle of self-reinforcement has completed its first full sequence. You will now pick up your cross, follow Christ, and move on to obey more diligently, submit more freely, trust more completely (and on, and on, and on…). This ongoing process (part of your sanctification as a Christian) will draw you closer and closer to Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The key to this self-reinforcement is appreciating and understanding that it only works because of:
The Character of God
- Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
The Sacrifice of Christ
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
- Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Prayer
Gracious loving Father, I praise You for Your goodness, I praise You for Your patience. I fall so very short of Your standards. Thank You for the righteousness You have given me through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Yet in my righteous position before You, I confess the weakness of my flesh and the sin in my life. But You continue to work in me, cleansing me, perfecting me, loving me. Sanctify me by the ongoing process of dying to myself and conforming me to the image of Christ. Make me more humble, give me an obedient attitude, grant me a submissive spirit, and bless me with a deep trust for You and Your Word. HOST is just a small part of what You are doing in my life. But I pray that I am faithful to You, as You are faithful to Your promises. Glory to You in the highest. I praise You and pray to You in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God, my Savior. Amen
