09/28/2021
All of our advances in faith, and a righteous life, follow after our humility, and our desire to obey the Lord. When we pray with pride, or read scripture from a position of arrogant intellect, then there is no answer, and the truth in God’s Word remains hidden from us. In this way our belief in God, and faith in Jesus Christ, are merely outer garments that cover a religion based on our self alone. Until we humble ourselves, and let our love for God replace our desire to interpret scripture as we wish it to be, and stop praying as a form of negotiation, but pray instead in absolute humility, then we are attempting to establish a business arrangement with God, and He has no interest in sharing His sovereignty with us.
“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, and honour, and life.”
Proverbs 22:4 KJV
So we grow in faith when we totally humble ourselves, and exalt God; lifting up His Son, and trampling down our own pride in self. All of the riches, honor, and fullness of life we desire flows from God. Every good thing comes from Him, as does our ability to understand Him, because His thoughts are not ours, and neither are His ways. We have no authority, nor right that He has not given us, and we can put no word of ours in His mouth. He judges any attempt to do so as being insolent. Indeed, we should be like a mountain valley that merely echos the Words of God, and has no voice of its own.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:8-11 ESV
Humility, it is the key that opens the door to our father’s house, and allows us to hear His voice. He places His hand upon us as we kneel before Him, and makes known by His love the mysteries hidden there as we listen with bowed head. We are His loving children and obedient servants, and He reveals His heart to us as such. Those who feel pride and arrogance before the Lord are not given His council, but His wrath, and do not receive His truths; they are not made great in faith, wealthy in spirit, or given the fullness of life. From them is hidden His presence, knowledge, and wisdom, but upon the babes who humble themselves before Him He lavished His attention.
“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
Matthew 11:25 KJV
Are we humble in nature, and before God? Are we like Christ in our demeanor before our Heavenly Father? Do we listen to His voice and echo it into the world without adding or detracting from it? Let’s ask ourselves again… are we truly humble?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the lessons we receive in humility, and for learning to seek you in fear and trembling as a result. Thank you for your Son Jesus who teaches us by His example what it means to humble ourselves, and place you above us. Help us Lord to defeat the pride and arrogance that Satan tempts us with, and give us a fullness of humility in our faith, and lives, as we focus our attention on you, and hear your voice. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God, and our sovereign Lord. Praised be your name for every answered prayer we pray in accordance to your will, and for every truth you reveal to us in your Word as we humbly listen at your feet. Great are you in all things, and we sing your praises as your mercy and Grace are poured out over us through your Son Jesus. Help us to remove the cloak of shallow faith, and allow you to recreate us so that we become the essence of humility, and the obedient child you would have us to be. Wash us in the blood of Christ as we are moved by our emotions, and cry in thankful adoration for this, His redemption. Let his blood become ours, his humility radiate from us as it snuffs out our pride, and our arrogance become His meekness each time we approach you. Father, find us worthy in Jesus as we reflect His life, and let us become the valleys of your high mountain that faithfully echo your Word for all the world to hear. Seat us at your table Father, and feed us the manna that is the truth hidden in your sweet Word of everlasting life.
“For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: But the LORD made the heavens. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth: The world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: And let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.”
1 Chronicles 16:25-26, 29-31 KJV
Rich Forbes