HUMILITY ENGENDERS GOD’S GRACE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JANUARY 13, 2024. 

SUBJECT : HUMILITY ENGENDERS GOD’S GRACE! 

Memory verse: "Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3 vs 34.) 

READ: First Peter 5 vs 5 - 7:

5:5: Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud. But gives grace to the humble."

5:6: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

5:7: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

INTIMATION:

God gives grace (unmerited favor) to the humble, to those who adhere to, trust in and rely on Him and not on their own ability, schemes and devises; not relying on their own great wisdom, knowledge and faith. Being humble is not to think too highly of oneself; it’s being modest, simple, unpretentious, submissive, not prideful, gentle, and lowly. Humility means proper respect for God, not self-depreciation.

To humble yourself under the mighty hand of God is to put your trust on Him; relying on Him in everything. It means to ask the Lord for what you need and then wait on Him to provide it as He sees fit, knowing that His timing is always perfect, and that in due time He will exalt you. It means to be still and know that He is God, and that He knows what is best for you in every situation of life. It means to stop trying to make things happen yourself and allow the Lord to show you what you need to do and to co-operate with His plan and purpose for you.

Some people try to give the appearance of humility in order to manipulate others. Others think that humility means putting themselves down. Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness, and understand their limitations. On the other hand, they also recognize their gifts and strengths and are willing to use them as Christ directs. Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve.

The person who really understands the grace of God will not worry. Why? Because worry is a work of the flesh. It is trying to figure out what to do to solve your problem rather than trusting in God for deliverance. The individual who is living in constant worry is not receiving the fullness of God's grace, because just as perfect love casts out fear (First John 4 vs 18), so God's grace expels all traces of worry and anxiety. Walk in the grace of the Lord and you will not fulfill the work of the flesh.

We often worry about our position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. Remember that God's recognition counts more than human praise. Humbly obey God regardless of present circumstances, and in His good time, He will lift you up. Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life, and that is pride. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, and to admit your need and lay them at the feet of our Messiah.

Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. We display lack of knowledge of God when we think of everything we did wrong and figure that it automatically disqualifies us for any of God's blessings. And it is under this weight of lack of knowledge that we are destroyed (Hosea 4 vs 6).

If God could bless only perfect people, then He could never bless anyone, because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3 vs 23.) Consequently, none of us supposedly deserve any good thing from the Lord. But that fact did not keep us from receiving His glorious salvation; why should it keep us from receiving His manifold blessings? If He didn't spare or withhold even His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all other things? (Romans 8 vs 32).

The apostle Peter says we should cast the whole of our care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns) on God Almighty, for He cares for us affectionately and cares about us watchfully. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.

Prayer: Abba Father, in You I live, and move, and have my being. I will forever humble myself before You, knowing that outside of You I am nothing and can do nothing. Give me the grace to submit totally to You. and rely on You completely in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!