James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up ~ James 4:10


Submitting ourselves before God is the first step toward true repentance and allowing our Saviour into our heart. God cannot come into a proud heart, for it senses no need for God. A proud heart feels it can do all things on its own, with no help. A proud heart feels that it is a weakness if someone else, or if God, needs to work on its behalf. When though, an unrepentant sinner sees the need and is awakened in their soul to the sense of their guilt in life, and the only way of salvation is through the God they have turned away from, then can humility of soul be their encounter, and God’s grace lift them from the mire of their past. Humility before God does not mean that person is worthless, never, for all are created by God in his image, and all have value in God’s eyes. What humility means is that we are willing to take our rightful place before a holy and sinless God. It is the story of the prodigal son. In his pride he takes what is his and leaves home, thinking he can do it all. He has his finances, he has his proud name, he has his talents and with all these he will make his fortune. Sadly though, he finds this is not so and he ends up pushing the sow aside for a bit of food from the pig trough. When he realizes his rightful place is back at home doing whatever his father needs him to do, then he has found humility. He says in his heart, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against you” (Luke 15:18). And what will his father do? Welcome him home, of course. No longer does the son’s pride fool him into a false sense of ownership. He has found his rightful place. His father knows what is best, and it is his father’s leadership he will pay heed to from then on. Our Father in heaven knows what is best for us. We need our Father to guide and help us. We need his Son to have paid the price for our sins. We need the Holy Spirit to transform us into his image, for our good and for our neighbour’s good. Then, when we come to our senses, God will lift us up, wipe away our tears, and clothe us with the promises of salvation.

Pastor Julia

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