Canaanites

"When the Lord your God brings you in-to the land...and has cleared away...the Canaanites...you shall not make a coven-ant (treaty) with them..." (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

Canaanite means humiliated. We're not going to focus on the kind of humiliation that comes from being embarrassed. To-day we're going to talk about humiliation that comes from a trap the enemy uses to ensnare us; pride. "Pride ends in humilia-tion..." (Proverbs 29:23).

Humiliation is a Canaanite caused by pride, and we have to destroy it before it destroys us. "Pride goes before destruc-tion, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  (Proverbs 16:18) 

It can be easy to get into pride when we compare ourselves to others.  Paul warns us,"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think..." (Romans 12:3).  

You overcome pride by humbling your-self. That full verse in Proverbs 29:23 says, "Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." 

Being humble will prevent us from being humiliated; it keeps us from pride.  Hum-ble does not mean thinking you're worth-less.  It means being modest; submitting to God's authority. "God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)".  (James 4:6).    

Paul gives us specific tools to avoid pride, "...live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits Godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior - a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation], with all humility, and gentleness [main-taining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love." (Ephesians 4:1-2).

Another thing that brings humiliation on us is when substitute our own word for God's Word in our hearts and minds; that's pride.  If we want to overcome the Canaanites, we have to make a decision whose word we're going to take as the final authority in our life; God's or our own. (Jeremiah 23:36-40).  

(Romans 3:3-4), "What then?  If some did not believe or were unfaithful [to God], their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God and His Word, will it?  Certainly not!  Let God be found true [as He will be], though eve-ry person be found a liar..."  What Paul's saying is, whether we're faithful or not; whether we agree or not, God's Word is true.  If we disagree, we're just simply wrong.  

If you've seen Canaanites in your life, defeat them by the Word and a humble heart. "Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignifi-cance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]." (James 4:10).




Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word