The Blobfish

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.

How many of you have had the opportunity to go to a large zoo to view all the animals? Years ago I got to go to a zoo in Duluth and also in Minneapolis. It’s really neat to see all the animals in such close proximity. Have you ever got to see a lion a tiger or bear? Maybe you got to see a panda or some cute bunny rabbits, or the staff even let you pet them. Everybody seems to like the cute cuddly animals. Today I was thinking about some of the ugliest animals in the world.  A few years ago the blobfish was voted the earth’s most hideous species in an online poll conducted by the British-based Ugly Animal Preservation Society.  It’s found in the waters over by Australia somewhere and if you get a chance to take a look at a picture online you’ll know what I mean. It looks like a big ball of slime with eyeballs.  Up here in Minnesota we have an ugly fish too, it’s called a burbot or more commonly, an eel pout. It’s a slimy bottom-dwelling fish that kind of looks like half fish half eel. They are kind of gross because if you grab them by the head they will wrap them selves around your arm like a snake.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

The eel pout is considered to be Minnesota’s ugliest fish but there is something even uglier that you can find in this world today. The ugliest is the human nature when it is filled with arrogance and pride.

James 4:6 – But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

When some one is proud it means that they have or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance. When some one is proud they are arrogant. Arrogant is disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner. They are disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner. They display an offensive attitude of superiority over others.  Resist means to withstand, strive against, or to oppose. God resists pride because it is completely against His divine nature.

Luke 18:9-14

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Pro 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

We see from this verse that God hates certain things. He hates pride and arrogance. The prayer of the Pharisee was filled with religious pride. Pride manifests itself in a sense of superiority over other people. The truth of the matter is that each of us are the same. We’re all sinners who have come short of the glory of God and without Christ and his mercy, none of us would be able to make it into heaven.

Pro 11:2  When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

The arrogant heart will eventually lead to a fall.

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Pro 29:23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

An abomination is a thing that causes disgust or hatred.

Pro 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

1 Pet 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Resist means to exert oneself so as to counteract or defeat.

Pro 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

The exact opposite of pride is meekness and humility which are qualities that our Lord Jesus Christ is filled with.

Matthew 11:29 – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Christian meekness is essentially an attitude or quality of heart whereby a person is willing to accept and submit without resistance to the will and desire of Christ.  To truly learn the way of Christ we must be filled with meekness.

Psalms 25:9 – The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Meekness and humility brings great blessings from God.

Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Titus 3:2 – To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Whenever you think about pride, remember how God feels about it.  He hates it. In order to enter into eternal life someday pride must be replaced by humility because it’s a very ugly quality found in man’s fleshy human nature.  Just as ugly as….

……The Blobfish

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by Google searching, tlkjbc  where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms, such as Amazon, Spotify or Google podcasts.  We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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