You vs. God

“But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” - James 4:6 
 
 
When you read the title, “You vs. God,” what do you think? You might be like, “Woah, Pastor, slow down! I’m not against God. We aren’t enemies!” Maybe not. Or maybe so. How do we know? God opposes the proud.  
 
Is God telling you He’s going to bring you down? James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” That word “opposes” literally means “set Himself against.” 
 
This is something to think about when you find yourself circumstantially feeling a sense of resistance, when everything you put your hand to just feels like an obstacle is in the way, when you feel frustration and disappointment, and when you find yourself going, “Man, everything I do just feels like there’s a barrier, a blockade, or a failure at every level.”  
 
Have you ever thought about the fact that God’s trying to get your attention? He might be going, “Hey, listen, lovingly I’m just hoping to impede some progress, create some questions that you’ll go ‘what is going on in my heart and in my life?’” 
 
It is kind of Him to actually oppose what we are doing so that we recognize our need for Him. But if we don’t pay attention to the circumstantial resistance that we are facing, we will miss it. 
 
Don’t miss this today. If you are struggling to get momentum, you might be trying to do something or push something forward and at every turn, you just feel some sort of resistance. That might be God opposing you. When you are arrogant or prideful and think you can just do whatever you want and it will work, you might find some opposition. 
 
And that opposition might be God. Don’t get to a place where God is opposing you. You want His blessing, not His opposition. Remember how much you need Him, then ask Him for help so that you can find blessing and favor!