You're listening to Encounter, a simple daily podcast of sacred and mindful meditations

to help you encounter the divine presence of God all throughout your day.

If you want to have free access to the entire library of 500 meditations, I encourage

you to download the Encountering Peace app where all the meditations are free as they should be.

It was St. Augustine that once said,

do you wish to rise? Well, begin by descending. Do you plan for a tower that will pierce the clouds?

We'll lay first the foundation of humility.

It reminds me, too, of what the Apostle John said about Jesus, that he must increase,

that I must decrease. But what happens when you try to rise without first ascending?

Or increase your own status while decreasing the significance of Christ?

And have you ever tried to pierce the clouds without first laying a firm foundation?

The outcome is often humiliation, isn't it? Your own efforts laying and rubble around you.

Well, this meditation from Matthew chapter 18 is a reflection on the importance of approaching life

with a humble spirit and understanding the outcome of prideful living.

So let's begin now by surrendering this time in this place

to ponder the outcome of God's guiding hand in our lives,

a moment to become realigned with the will of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Continue in this time of awareness by listening and then responding to this passage from Romans chapter 15,

and as I lead us, respond, Lord God, may the outcome be my humility. May the Lord bless the hearing

and reading of his word. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction,

so Lord God may the outcome be my humility.

For whatever was written in earlier times was written so that through endurance and the encouragement

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