Today we will be finishing up with our look at the 7 steps to gaining God's grace by looking at verse 10 of James 4 which says:
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The Christian who humbles himself in the sight of the Lord will be exalted in ways that could never be accomplished on one's own! But what is emphasized here in this verse is that humility is most definitely a responsibility of the Christian, and a quality that must be present before God can exalt us in ways that are humanly unexplainable. It is the final stage of preparation before receiving God's grace, before becoming a "getter" of it. Sad to say, we skip over the "humbling ourselves" part of that verse and focus on the responsibility of promoting ourselves as we take on God's role in our lives! We selfishly decide that being exalted is more important than being humble in the eyes of God. Why would we do such a thing? First of all, because we care too much of what man thinks, and secondly, because we don't want to crucify our flesh. Do you really think we'll really obtain God's grace that way? Certainly not! We must always be ready to let God be God. So then, does the Lord really hold that position in your heart or have YOU been calling all the shots? You're never so empty as when you're full of yourself... YOU are going to have to get out of the way if you hope to gain some grace!
Micah 6:8 (KJV)
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require
of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with
thy God?
Ladies, don't deceive yourselves - it is quite possible to submit outwardly yet not be humbled inwardly. But God hates that sin of pride! As a matter of fact, it is first on the list of things He hates. The Lord can't work with you and He won't walk with you through life while you carry such an attitude. People who want to be important cause most of the trouble in the world! Remember, James 4:6 says God resists the proud. You'll just end up being on your own! And how far do you really think you'll make it without God's grace??
Maybe you've already discovered the answer to that question and you are ready to yield to the loving, guiding hand of God in your life. I hope that is the case with all who are reading this devotion today. If not, realize that God will chasten the proud believer until he is humbled. In fact, pride is first on His hit list…
Proverbs 6:16-19 (KJV)
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto
him: [17] A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
[18] An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in
running to mischief, [19] A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that
soweth discord among brethren.
Sometimes many of us will pray, "Lord, humble me!" However,
very few realize this is a dangerous thing to pray! Far better that we
humble ourselves before God, confess our sins, weep over them and turn
from them, amen? By the way, did you ever notice how we humans have a
tendency to ask God to do all the work all the time?? Ladies, the Lord
won't do our part, so why be lazy about the condition of your heart before
Him? What would you say to your child if they came to you and said, "Mom,
make me obey!" What is the first thing that comes to your mind when
you consider how to bring about such behavior? Chastening, right? Well,
then you can see how dangerous it is for us to ask God to make us humble!!
It will be much safer for us to simply obey the Word of God and humble
ourselves in the sight of the Lord. Nothing sets a person so much out
of the devil’s reach as humility!
Proverbs 18:12 (KJV)
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
So dear lady, are you wrestling with the Lord today for control of your life? Been worrying alot about your "rights" or status lately? Don't really see the value in being humbled? Then you are wrestling with pride in your heart!! Humility is nothing but truth, while pride is nothing but lying. Ladies, it is God's business to lift you up, to exalt you, but you are holding Him back from doing so as long as you insist on having your own way...
Psalm 91:14 (KJV)
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I
will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Please understand that grace has a perfect work to perform in you, but it cannot do so as long as you are foolishly insist on holding the reins to your life. Don't waste your spiritual energy trying to do God's job of exalting yourself - put it in the direction of humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God - set your love upon HIM, not upon YOU! Then it is you will finally become a "getter" of God's generous grace.
Romans 12:3 (KJV)
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among
you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to
think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.
As we conclude this study, are you really a candidate for grace and more grace? Would you say grace is your greatest desire? Ladies, we must completely despair of ourselves in order to become fit to obtain it! God's grace to do the work He has called us to do only comes through these 7 steps given to us in the book of James. The choice is always ours; I hope you'll opt for the things that will draw God's grace over and over again. May the favor and influence of Jesus Christ rest upon your life…
Rev. 22:21 (KJV)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
