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Week 5 Friday
Scripture Verses
- Psalm 51:17
- Micah 6:6–8
- Matthew 23:1–12
Questions to Consider
- What does it mean to be humble?
- From what areas of your life do you need to eliminate pride?
- How do you practice humility?
- How does Jesus give us humility?
Plan of Action
- The next time you pray, really get on your knees. We talk and sing about bowing before God, but we don’t often do it. We most often sit or stand to pray. Consider actually humbling yourself and truly bowing before him.
- A humble spirit is one that is willing to give others credit and rejoice when others are lifted up. Make a point to offer praise to others for what God is accomplishing through them. Do it today!
Reflection
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10 (ESV)
Pride keeps us from experiencing the abundance of God. Pride puts a wall between us and him.
It was because of pride Satan was cast from heaven as a fallen angel. His entire nature is pride. He spews his poison through lies to the ends of the earth. When we go back to the original sin in the Garden of Eden, he serpent said to Eve:
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5 (ESV)
“You will be like God!” As Eve listened to the serpent twist truth, she yielded her desire to serve God in exchange for the idea of becoming God. As she ate of the fruit, the poison of pride entered her soul. She became corrupted with the pride of the serpent. Lost was the humble dependence upon God which provided abundant and eternal life. Up to this point only good was known. Now humanity would know not only the goodness of God but also the evil caused by pride.
Pride is about putting ourselves in the place of God. Much of the sin and hardship in our lives goes back to pride. We get ourselves into trouble when we begin to think we know better than God. We make the “Ten Commandments” into “Ten Suggestions” and go our own way.
The picture at the end of the Bible in Revelation is a picture of true humility restored before God. The Elders bow down and cast their crowns before the throne and worship him saying:
Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
To receive glory and honor and power,
For you created all things,
And by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
We learn and receive humility from Jesus. The chief characteristic of Jesus is one of humility:
- He humbled himself by taking on human flesh.
- He humbled himself by associating himself with sinners.
- He humbled himself by becoming a servant.
- He humbled himself to be arrested and to be judged by human authority.
- He humbled himself through his agonizing death on the cross.
- He humbled himself in that he became sin who knew no sin.
But the humility of Jesus is not the end of the story. It was God the Father who exalted him:
- He was exalted in that he rose from the dead.
- He was exalted in that he ascended into heaven.
- He is exalted in that now he sits on the right hand of the throne of God.
- He is exalted in that he will come to judge the living and the dead.
- He is exalted in that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess he is Lord.
Who sits on the throne in your life? Who makes the decisions? Humility starts with giving the lordship of your life over to Jesus. It’s casting your crown before him and saying: “I don’t want this or need this. It is yours Jesus!”
In the end, humility puts us in a place to receive God’s abundant grace. It also puts us in a place to be used by him in powerful and amazing ways.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (ESV)
Pride is the downfall of many a good person. this is an excellent devotion. Thanks so much for your faithfulness and obedience in sharing it.