Category Archives: Humility

Attention, Attitude, Bible, Boasting, Compassion, Envy, Favoritism, God's Will, Goodness, Humility, Jealousy, Scripture

NO FAVORITISM

GALATIANS 2:6

“But from those who were of considerable repute (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism)—well, those who were of repute contributed nothing to me.”

I grew up with three siblings – an older brother and sister and a younger sister. Of course, I was mama’s favorite, lol. Just kidding! My mama never really showed any favoritism that I knew of. Each of her children were precious to her, and she showered each of us with her love and affection. She had enough love for us all.

Paul makes an interesting statement here in today’s verse – “God shows no favoritism.” Actually, the literal Greek says, “a person’s face God does not accept.” Isn’t that strange? But this goes back to a Hebrew saying about accepting a man’s face or showing partiality. Paul is saying this in relation to the apostles he met with in Jerusalem. He is saying that God did not see James and Peter as better than him. They were all equal in God’s sight.

APPLICATION

We are commanded throughout the Word to do exactly what God does. In Acts 10:34 we read, “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,’” This was in the story of Peter and the Centurion, Cornelius, who had the vision and sent for Peter. This experience changed Peter’s outlook on the Gentiles.

Also, we see in Romans 2:11, “For there is no partiality with God.” Neither the Jew nor the Greek were seen as better than the other in God’s eyes. Christ died for both. I was sitting in a coffee shop recently people watching with my wife. Why do coffee shops attract such, should I say, “diverse” people? Green dyed hair, white-faced with black lipstick, homeless, etc. As we sat there, my wife and I were quickly reminded that Christ loves each of these people and died for them.

How about James 2:1? “My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” You should really go to James 2 and read verses 1-7 to get the full picture of what James was saying. We have no right to put ourselves above anyone. We are all the same in God’s eyes.

Be honest! Do you ever think you’re just a little bit better than someone else? I can do that if I am not careful. After all, I am serving God. I give to the church and other ministries. I pray and read my Bible. But I have to remember that none of that makes God love me more. I do all that BECAUSE He loves me. And He loves those less fortunate than us. Reach out this week and show His love.

Father, I am eternally grateful for all the love You have shown me.

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Bible, Blessing, Humility, Obedience, Scripture, Service, Submission, Works

THIS IS TOO MUCH WORK

MALACHI 1:13

“‘You also say, “See, how tiresome it is!” And you view it as trivial,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I accept it from your hand?’ says the LORD.”

I was blessed (yes, I said blessed) as a pre-teen and teenager to have some employers that were very demanding. I worked in the fields harvesting crops. I washed more cars than I could ever count at Walter Pollock and Sons. I hauled furniture for The Hand Trading company. All of these were very physically demanding. There were times I thought the work was too much. But I knew what my bosses expected, so I dug in and finished.

The Lord is accusing the priests in today’s verse of just whining and complaining. Truly, their work must have been tiring. They had to sacrifice all those animals, handle the blood and guts, burn it correctly and dispose of the ashes correctly. In Leviticus, God had laid out detailed instructions for offerings, and He expected the priests to follow them to the letter of the law.

APPLICATION

What is the “work” the Lord has called you to? Maybe you are called to serve full-time in ministry. You may be a doctor or lawyer. Perhaps you are a housewife and mom, struggling to manage the daily grind. Whatever it is, you can do this with the power of God in your life.

Are works necessary for a believer. Well James says this in James 2:20. “But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless?” You really need to read more than just this one verse to understand what James in talking about. But obviously, he is telling us we need to do our work.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, “12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If   anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.” Your work isn’t too much. Enjoy it for Jesus.

Father, give me the strength to work for You and show joy in the process.

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Abiding, Appearance, Bible, Confrontation, Enemies, Forgiveness, God's Will, Grace, Humility, Kindness, Scripture

THE HIGH GROUND

ZECHARIAH 14:10

“All the land will change into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.” 

Anyone with any knowledge of battle plans knows the importance of the high ground. From there you can see all around and monitor your enemies. You can defend your camp better from high ground. The downside of that high ground is your enemy can also see you. The high ground has its pros and cons, I guess.

The landscape around Jerusalem is going to change one day when this prophecy occurs. Verse 10 today tells us about this changing landscape. Jerusalem is currently surrounded pretty much with hills. But on this day, all those hills will be leveled a plain. Jerusalem will have the high ground. All will be able to observe the holy city. Jesus, the Messiah, is there for all to see.

APPLICATION

The application for this verse today has to be taken more allegorically. Will you give me some leeway today? Let me encourage you today to take the high ground, the high road, when it comes to conflict. Let your actions in response to your earthly foes be one of above reproach. I am reminded of the question posed by Peter regarding forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 tells us this story. “21 Then Peter came up and said to Him, ‘Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?’ 22 Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.’”

The rabbinical law taught to forgive someone three times, so Peter thought he was going above and beyond by saying seven times. Jesus blew his mind with his answer – 77 times! What?! Then Jesus went on to tell a story about a king and a slave who owed him a great amount. You know the story. I bet Peter got the message.

How about you? Can you take the high ground, the high road? Can you be the one to extend forgiveness 77 times? And if others refuse to forgive you, just keep loving them. Let me rephrase that. Allow Jesus to love them through you. Die to yourself. Give it to Him. He can and will accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time.

Father, I want my life to be lived in such a way that I can be observed as if on high ground with nothing to hide.  

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Accountability, Attitude, Bible, Boasting, Clothing, Deceit, Hiding, Humility, Scripture, Truth

NO MORE DISGUISES

ZECHARIAH 13:4

“‘Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive;’”

People are so good at wearing disguises when it comes to their walk with Christ. We wear masks that show us smiling, when inside we are crying. We tell everyone we are fine, but really we are beaten down and low. Why do we do that? Why can’t we be real to each other? God sees right through these disguises. You can’t hide your true feelings from Him.

The prophets who had confessed their sin of falsehoods would be repentant, according to the Lord here in verse 4. They would not wear the traditional rough, hairy robe as a sign of humility. They had done that far too many times falsely. They wore that in the past to deceive the people. They had really been proud and arrogant, claiming to speak for God, when He had not spoken.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Jesus saying in John 8:31-32, “‘31…If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Jesus did not expect us to hide our true feelings. There was no need to pretend with Him. Because He is the Truth, He expects us to live in the Truth. That means not wearing those disguises.

We do not need to pretend to be something we are not. But living this way makes you vulnerable. I know that is a risk. Revealing your true self can be risky. Do you trust the Lord? Do you think He wants you living in a way that is not true? I love what Peter says in 1 Peter 5:5. “…and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,…”

Ah, there’s the risky part – being humble. See, those prophets the Lord was referring to in today’s verse were anything but humble when they were prophesying falsely and wearing that false robe of humility. Don’t go around wearing that either. But clothe yourself with true humility. Trust the Lord with your feelings. He can handle them.

O Lord, it is hard to let our guard down. Give us boldness to do so.

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Bible, Devil, Forgiveness, Humility, Scripture, Sin, Trials, Trouble, Warnings

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

ZECHARIAH 12:9

“And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

We receive all kinds of warnings in this life. Our automobiles have warning lights and sounds. We see lights flashing from emergency vehicles that give us warning. You may live in a region where you have tornado sirens to warn you of an impending storm. If we are wise, we will heed those warnings and take appropriate action.

The nations have been warned. Do not come against Jerusalem. Do not attack God’s chosen people. I believe this warning is still in place. Israel is still precious to our God. He still longs to see His people redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. So, He is still protecting her to the end. We may not live to see the miraculous protection of Israel from her enemies, but I believe God is faithful to His words spoken right here in verse 9.

APPLICATION

Here are six warnings Scripture gives us which we need to pay attention to.

  1. Sin – Jesus said in John 8:34, “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.’” We are to avoid sin at all costs, not just excuse it.
  2. The devil – Too often we don’t take the devil seriously. We “don’t go in for all that super spiritual stuff.” Well, he’s real and has you in his crosshairs. Remember he even tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
  3. Stuff – Matthew 6:19 Jesus tells us, “‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.’”
  4. False teaching – We are warned over and over about this in the Scriptures. 2 Peter 1:19 warns us “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”
  5. Judging others wrongly – In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus tells us not to judge someone else when we are guilty of the same or worse sin.
  6. The lack of humility – Oh, this is a big one for most of us. But the Bible is plain on this. Both James (James 4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) tell us that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Father, help me heed these warnings today. I want to walk in a manner worthy of You.

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Advocate, Asking, Attitude, Bible, Blessing, Humility, Prayer, Scripture, Seeking

SEEKING FAVOR

ZECHARIAH 7:2

“Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD,”

There have been a few times in my life when I had to go to someone to ask a favor. Maybe it was to ask a work colleague to swap days off with me so I could go to an event. Perhaps it was to ask someone to borrow something. Each time I have done that I have gone with a sense of humility, knowing that I was the one doing the asking. The other person had the power to grant me the favor. It was not up to me.

The phrase “seek the favor” in the Hebrew is literally “pray before.” These two men, Sharezer and Regemmelech, are unknown to us except that they represented the people before the Lord. The people knew that to truly seek God’s favor, they had to come before Him in prayer and humility. The Hebrew word used here can also mean sick or weak. The word picture here is one who comes before someone with no power of their own – humble and lowly.

APPLICATION

There is a perfect picture of how we are to come before the Lord when we pray – humble and lowly. Most of my prayers are accompanied with a certain posture. I bow my head or get on my knees as I pray. Occasionally, I will even lay on the floor. It is not about my body position. It’s about my heart position.

Perhaps the best way to show what I mean is to share the story Jesus told in Luke 18:9-14. “9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: “God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.” 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’”

As you pray today, remember Who it is you are approaching. He is the God of the universe, the One Who created all things. He gave His Son to die for you, so that you can spend eternity with Him in glory. He deserves our praise and is welcoming of our prayers. Yes, come before Him with praises and singing, but do that with a humble and contrite heart. He is worthy.

Lord, I approach Your throne with a humble heart, asking You to hear my pleas.

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Commitment, Discipline, Exhortation, God's Will, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Humility, Messages, Scripture

THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME

HAGGAI 1:3

“Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,”

How many sermons do you think you have heard in your lifetime? A hundred? A thousand? For some of us church goers, it can easily be in the thousands. I did some calculations this morning. If I have averaged just one sermon a week since age six, I have conservatively heard around 3,000. Some of those weeks I heard more than one. This doesn’t count the many conferences and revivals I have attended. That number could easily jump to 5,000.

So, when we read the words of today’s verse, don’t just read that and pass it by. Look at the words. “Then” means at a certain time, at a certain point. God decided when to speak to Haggai. Haggai didn’t just spout off some information he had. He waited for the Lord’s words. They came to him as he waited for the Lord to speak. Then and only then did Haggai speak. That’s important to see.

APPLICATION

The danger many preachers face each week is waiting on the Lord to speak before they do. The pressure to “get a sermon ready can lead to some misspoken words. Words are shared as if they are from the Lord but are not. We have to wait on Him, just like Haggai did. 2 Timothy 2:15 is a great verse to contemplate about this. It says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Maybe you don’t preach or teach the Word each week. How do you share it with others? Are you accurately handling it then? Do you quote verses incorrectly to suit your situation. We have to be careful about that, too. We need to make sure when we share a verse with someone that it points them to Jesus, not just what we think is right.

Sharing God’s Word with someone else is a good thing. But we must do it with humility, knowing it is not our word but His. Only His Word can heal and guide correctly. Only His Word can accurately teach us how to handle life in the way He intended. Our job is to listen carefully for the Spirit’s bidding and then act. Wait on God’s word to come to you before you speak.

I want to be true to Your Word, O Lord, in everything I do. 

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Bible, Boasting, Conceit, Humility, Repentance, Scripture

BOAST IN THE LORD

ZEPHANIAH 2:15

“This is the presumptuous city that dwells securely, who says in her heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’ How she has become a desolation, a resting place for animals. Everyone who passes by her will hiss and wave his hand in contempt.”

I truly try not to boast about anything. Well, maybe if I kill a 16 point white-tail deer, lol. That is not likely to happen though. But I really try to not boast about myself. I have been accused of that in the past. Thinking back to my pre-Christ days and my early days as a believer, I may have been a little prideful and boasted some. The insolence of youth, right?

Reading verse 15 I am reminded of Jeremiah 9:23-24. “23 ‘This is what the LORD says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” Nineveh thought they were the cat’s meow. They were prideful and boastful. But they fell. I love the last sentence of the verse. Hissing and waving of hands toward them.

APPLICATION

The application is pretty clear for us. Do not boast of yourself. You may have heard the saying about the turtle on the fence post. He didn’t get there by himself. Neither do we “get anywhere” by ourselves. It is the Lord who moves us. It is the Lord who protects us. It is the Lord who blesses us.

We should always give all the praise to Him, who is worthy of it. If we are blessed to achieve something, give Him the glory. If we are honored for something we have done, give Him the glory. If we are recognized for service we have rendered, give Him the glory. Boast only in Him.

Sometimes when I preach or sing, people come up to me and say how much they enjoyed it. I try to always just point upwards and give Him the glory. I had much rather humble myself and let the Lord exalt me that exalt myself and see the Lord humble me. So, today boast in Him. Point others to Jesus.

Everything I do, Lord, that brings me praise I lay at Your feet. Only You deserve the glory.

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Abuse, Battles, Bible, Enemies, Humility, Modeling, Scripture, Taunting

TAUNTING

ZEPHANIAH 2:8

“‘I have heard the taunting of Moab and the abusive speech of the sons of Ammon, with which they have taunted My people and boasted against their territory.’”

No one likes to be reproached or reviled. Taunting is uncomfortable, isn’t it? In my childhood, I can recall a couple of times when I was taunted by someone. Once on the playground by a class bully. Another time in high school a classmate tried to get me to fight by saying some bad things about me. Taunting is not something God approves of.

Here in Zephaniah, we see the taunting of the Moabites and the Ammonites against God and His chosen people. It reminds me of David and Goliath when Goliath stood and taunted the army of Israel. David rightly pointed out that Goliath wasn’t just taunting and reviling Israel. He was reviling God. All reviling against God’s people is reviling against Him.

APPLICATION

Have you been taunted by someone or made fun of? Maybe someone has made fun of you because of your beliefs. Perhaps you were picked on as a child and have never gotten over those comments. Give it all to God. He can soothe those hurt feelings. Remember, you are His child and created in His image. He made you, and He doesn’t make any junk.

Maybe you are the one taunting others. Maybe you are the bully. Oh, you wouldn’t call yourself a bully, but you say or do things that revile or taunt others. You even do it in jest and try to make it seem like a joke. That does not honor God, and He is not pleased. Ask God to forgive you of that taunting spirit and then ask those whom you have hurt to forgive you.

Whether you are the taunter or the tauntee, we have a lesson to learn here today. God is not pleased with a reviling spirit. He wants us to have peaceable spirits. He desires a humble heart and one that serves others. Romans 12:10 says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” That’s my new memory verse. Live that today.

Father, forgive me when I have reviled You by taunting others. Give me that servant heart so I can show them honor.

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Bible, Humility, Righteousness, Scripture, Submission

ARE YOU HUMBLE?

ZEPHANIAH 2:3

“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who have practiced His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will remain hidden on the day of the LORD’S anger.”

Did you know that the word “humble” or “humility” appears more than one hundred times in the Bible. I guess you could say it’s pretty important. But most of us have no clue what it really means to be humble or to show humility. I don’t see myself as a particularly humble guy. I’ve been called that, but I don’t see it. Does that make me humble, lol?

Zephaniah tells us in verse 3 of chapter 2 the importance of humility. The humble practice the Lord’s ordinances. They seek righteousness. By doing that, he says, “you will remain hidden on the day of the Lord’s anger.” Bowing before a holy God requires such humility. Do you have it?

APPLICATION

The ultimate example of humility, of course, is Jesus. Just look at Philippians 2:5-8. “5 Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.”

I know what you’re thinking. Sure, Carl. That is all well and good, but He is God. I’m not Jesus. That’s true, but He tells us to be like Him. And if He tells us something to do, then it is possible to do it. He never tells us to do something that He doesn’t equip us for.

Humility requires us to die to our flesh. That’s the hard part. We see others as more important than ourselves. We seek to serve others. Can we do that? Certainly, but only through Christ. Will you humble yourself today? Will you bow before your Lord and allow Him to humble you? Give it a shot. He will reward you.

Humble me, Lord. Show me how to live as You did in service to others.

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