Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 12, 2017
By Tripp Prince
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. Psalm 18:27
One of the hardest parts of Christian discipleship is acknowledging our inadequacies. We are taught from our earliest days to be self-sufficient and self-fulfilled creatures. We view independence and autonomy as chief virtues, for we perceive that they offer us the freedom to do what we want and be who we want to be. Yet, if our aim is Christ’s own likeness, our identity and purpose in the world is never a private or isolated affair.
To grow in humility is to grow in our awareness of our dependence upon God. As the psalmist says, the Lord “saves the humble.” The first step in becoming a humble person is acknowledging that you aren’t the master of your own destiny. It means modeling a posture of gratitude and thanksgiving for God’s goodness in your life.
We live in a world where humility seems to be a fleeting virtue. We are told that it’s a dog-eat-dog world where the strong rule and the weak are ruled. To intentionally embrace a posture of vulnerability and need is to explicitly own and acknowledge our weakness, and this, we believe, is a dangerous thing. To be weak is to be inadequate for the task at hand, yet it is exactly where the Lord wants us to be!
God’s story of salvation is one in which the weak and vulnerable are never liabilities but instead are the chosen sources of life. Mary’s song reminds us that the Lord “has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” (Luke 1:52) Paul reminds us that when we are weak, we are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10) And the book of Acts shows us that it is only in the Lord that we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
If you are feeling weak and inadequate today, you are in good company! You stand in a long line of people who were ill equipped for the task at hand. Yet their weakness and inabilities enabled them to receive the love of God and be used by him in profound ways. Resist the urge to cover up and hide your weakness and need. Instead, come to the Lord with a vulnerable and humble heart, trusting that he will fill you with his own life and sustain you to the very end!
Prayer
Father, just as you sent your son in humility and vulnerability to show us your great love, may you find us to be people who are humble and meek, trusting you for our life, hope, and peace. Amen.Application
How can you more intentionally embrace your weaknesses and inadequacies as a way to show your dependence upon the Lord?Related Reading
Proverbs 11:2; Matthew 11:29-30; 1 Corinthians 1:28-29; James 4:10Post/Tweet today
To grow in humility is to grow in our awareness of our dependence upon God. #WisdomHunters #celebratingweaknessWorship Resource
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