“But He gives more Grace. Wherefore, He says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble’. . .Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up.”
James 4:6, 10
If burdens have weighed you down or sorrows have broken your heart, quit resisting them; instead, embrace them as your “sentence of death” (II Cor. 1:8-9), for He’s using them in your life.
Grace.
We think we know what it is and even give elaborate definitions of it: “The unmerited favor of God.” We can even quote Scriptures about it (II Cor. 12:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9). But, the question is “Do we know about His sustaining Grace that comes to us when everything has fallen apart and we’re ready to quit?”
There’d be no need for “humbling ourselves” if haughtiness didn’t exist. Pride is ever-present, while penitence is not. And, sometimes, without our even realizing it, we grow proud of our spirituality. . .our keen insights into God’s Word. . .and give thanks for our humility. . . forgetting that such makes the Heavenly Father sick to His stomach (Rev. 3:15-17).
Oh, dear Pilgrim, God’s Word is true!
Truly, He “resists the proud.” That means He opposes them. Puts a wrench in the works. Puts a kink in things.
Not because He’s mad or a bad God. A thousand times no!
It’s simply because He knows “pride puffs up,” causing us to feel no need of Him.
But, something happens.
A hardship comes. A heartache grows larger with each passing day. We pray and pray and pray, but nothing happens. The “thorn in the flesh” remains (II Cor. 12:7-8).
And, we realize we’ve got to make a decision: Grow harder and bitterer? Or, “humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord” and quit resisting Him?
It’s no accident that today’s Manna is found in the midst of other verses that say “Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners—and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, mourn and weep. . .” (vv.7-9a).
Why is that?
Because each of those actions (“submitting, resisting the devil, drawing near to God, cleansing our hands, purifying our hearts, being afflicted, mourning and weeping”) are all parts of “humbling ourselves before God.” So often our pride has to be pierced by pain before we’ll have “a broken and contrite heart, which is the type of sacrifice that He will not despise” (Ps. 51:17).
Are you there yet, Pilgrim; if not, do not rest until you are.
November 4, 2011
