Sunday, August 23 2020 Devotional
"You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.”
II Samuel 22:28
This statement is repeated throughout Scripture. When God feels it necessary to say something more than once, it’s important and we need to pay attention.
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6
What does it mean?
Pride, arrogance was Satan’s sin and the cause of his fall. Pride, the desire to be the ultimate authority and answerable to no one, including God, caused the fall of man.
Pride keeps us from admitting we’ve done wrong. It makes us look down on others, who never quite measure up to our standards. Pride keeps us feeling that we’re superior and finds excuses for feeling that way; usually false excuses, lies that enable pride to bolster its exalted position.
Pride is the basis of racism, of greed, of covetousness, and of every kind of selfish behavior.
But it feels really good!
Humility, on the other hand, is painful. It’s... well, humiliating! Humility enables me to admit when I’ve done wrong. It lets me say, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” It breaks down barriers and allows me to be corrected, even by people that I might have considered “beneath me.” (There’s that pride again.)
God can work with humility.
A humble heart can be taught.
A humble heart seeks forgiveness.
A humble heart admits that I am not the ultimate authority in the universe on anything.
But pride has to be dealt with and broken down before my heart can respond to God.
So God, in His infinite mercy, resists the proud so that He can bring us to the place where He can work with us.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.”
Psalms 51:17
Lord God, You are right about me. My pride has kept me from You. I put up barriers so that I don’t have to listen to Your Word. I resist Your authority because I want my own way. Forgive my foolish pride. Forgive the way I treat other people to make myself feel more important. Cleanse my heart and enable me to listen. Let the blood of Jesus wash away my arrogance and renew my heart toward You. Enable me to treat others as more important than myself so that I can be useful. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles