Morning Dew

Key Passage: Psalm 45

Key Word – “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:4

Humility. The ability to be humble. This quality is easy to claim, but truly difficult to express. People often call themselves humble and they are quite far from humble. Imagine a professor who says I humbly submit my postulation of this matter for your consideration. Everything seems okay until you challenge his position, then you realise this so called humble submission is far from a humble one. It is in truth an imposition disguised as a humble submission. Such is the complexity of this word, that may so called humble are not humble at all.

True humility is comely. It is attractive. It is endearing and most of all it is love by God. God loves the humble. Those who have a low estimate of themselves. Actually, this quality is more of a recognition that one is totally dependent on God and that there is nothing we possess that we can boast about. That without the mercy, grace and benevolence of the Almighty God, we are nobody.

A friend of mine told me a story that shook my foundations many years ago. I was looking at this Pastor and noticed he had a lot of grace on his life. He prayed so little, yet God was with him so powerfully. So I asked him what his secret was. In answering my question, he took me through his family history. His great grandfather had been a drunk in the East end of London. His life was a mess. On a particular night he got so drunk, he fell into the gutter by the side of the road. He basically passed out there and a popular English preacher found him and rescued him form the gutter, rehabilitated him, preached the gospel to him and basically set him on the journey to recovery. He became a powerful preacher and pastor and his son and grand son also became pastors. He told me His grandfather always told them no to look down at anyone, because that person could easily be them, except they have received the grace of God. He said it in these words “there goes I, save the grace of God”. He went on to tell me that what I see in his life is not his own, it was passed down. But I was actually captivated by the lesson of His grandfather’s life.

Humble people know their dependence of God. They know and recognise their privileged estate. They walk with a limp, not a swagger. They have hearts that are bowed down to God. Hear these words from the bible.

For thus says the High and Lofty One, Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” Isaiah 57:1

“The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel” Isaiah 28:19

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:4

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up James 4:8

“Thus says the Lord “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord.“But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word” – Isaiah 66:1-3

If God hates the proud, then he loves the humble. God always comes to the aid of the humble. God always hears the cry of the humble. God always gives more of His resources, power and grace to the humble. God comes to the humble. God dwells with the humble.
One irony though is that those you really expect to be humble are sometimes really not humble in God’s eyes. There are people who are obviously in need who should be crying out to God for help, who totally reject the help of God. This I find really strange.

Humility always brings God in. Let us learn from Jesus. In Philippians 2, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

Jesus is God incarnate. He controlled the universe, yet He humbled Himself and obeyed His Father and because of this He was exalted to the highest place. He is the King of Kings, yet He was born in a stable. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but chose to enter Jerusalem on a donkey.

God loves the Humble. Let’s all humble ourselves.

Let us Pray:
Dear Father, I want to love you more dearly. I want to love what you love and hate what you hate. Please give me more grace to humble myself and allow you to do the lifting up. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.