LESSONS IN HUMILITY

The man created in the image and likeness of God is full of pride and must be made humble, if he is to worship the LORD our God in spirit and in truth. A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit (Proverbs 29:23). Pride destroys faith and brings shame upon the proud. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride and arrogance. God does not leave the work of removing pride from the heart to the children of men. He instead takes His dear children through processes that teach humility, leaving them with true life examples of how: by humility and fear of the LORD comes riches, honor and a life of Glory. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low places. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth (Ecclesiastes 10:6-7); a LESSON IN HUMILITY.

Woeful experiences and disappointed changes often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why me?" I looked for light, but instead I find darkness; I look for success and earn failures; I look for peace, but instead I am faced with trouble. The opposite seem to be my lot. I said in my heart, God is on my side, my Mountain stands firm, I shall never be moved. But Lord, you hide your face for a moment and I am troubled. Only yesterday I had high hopes and was ready to move mountains; but now I can’t seem to find my little teaspoon of faith. Yesterday I could climb to the top of the hill and view the landscape and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hope, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. I ask myself: “is this part of God's plan with me? Could this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven”? The answer is: “Yes”, it is not just His plan but His purpose for your life in the flesh. He needs to humble you; drain you of all your pride; trim away the arrogance that you would use to bring shame on your head; then wash you with Hyssop and make you clean and pure to dwell in His Palace. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith; they are the waves that wash you upon the rock of adversity; they are winds which blow your ship swiftly towards the port of Eternity. The mountain in the sites of your telescope is the Rock of Ages and the man standing facing you with sword drawn is the Captain of the Host of the Lord there to anchor you. The Lord is in that pillar of cloud that blocks your view in the days of your life and in that fire that is burning up front at night, that seem so menacing; driving fear up and down your spine. They proclaim His presence. They are your surety. Your hope is secured.

Yes your journey is filled with a mixture of good and bad report, joy and distresses, plenty and lack, wealth and poverty, peace and turmoil, highs and lows, honor and dishonor, successes and failures, elation and sorrows, trials and tribulations, persecutions and temptations; blended together to purge, polish and refine you for the Masters use. All that you are going through are: LESSONS IN HUMILITY: part of God’s master plan to bring you to an expected end: to glorify you.

In spite of all that you may be going through; love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength; then love your neighbor as yourself(Mark 12: 29 – 31). Because: we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED (Romans 8:28-30). Be Humble.

Love you plenty.

W. Bennett