1 Peter 5:6

New International Version (NIV)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

For meditation

  Humility can be viewed as surrendering to God’s will and acknowledging Him as the origin and strength of our successes. We might believe and shout hallelujah in response. However, our lives do not always reflect genuine humility and obedience. If only we would acknowledge this weakness in our spiritual journey, raise our hands in surrender, and praise the Lord for His goodness, we could appreciate grace better.

Where was humility when David surveyed Jerusalem from the roof of his palace when he should have led Israel to war (2 Sam. 11:1-2)? Where was obedience to God’s statutes that he so eloquently poured out of his heart in psalms? Where did it lead him, exactly? His view from the rooftop revealed his weakness in his adulterous affair with Bathsheba (4) and his subsequent murder of Uriah, her husband (14-17).

When pride takes the lead in our lives, it distorts our perception of our holy God. This skewed view of His glory often leads to compromises and wrong actions. The Nebuchadnezzar within us then emerges, boasting, Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:29). Such arrogance is the peril we face when humility abandons us. We depend utterly on God’s grace to rescue us from straying in faith. We need this divine grace to keep us humble and obedient to the Lord in faithful reverence.

Without grace, we risk falling into temptation and offending God when we view the beauties of this world from the rooftop in our leisure. Have any not bowed to the devil after surveying the world’s kingdoms and their splendor?

Where are you right now? Are you sure that you are where God wants you, fighting on the front lines of faith, or are you, like David, observing the world from your rooftop? Are you sure your eyes aren’t deceiving you as your mind spins in delusive dreams? Why not descend in humility and submit to the will and Lordship of Christ Jesus (Lk. 19:5-6) before you fall into disgrace? This self-reflection is not just critical; it is crucial for your spiritual growth and obedience. It’s a powerful tool that can guide you on the right path.

Remember the warnings of King Solomon:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace (Prov. 11:2a); and Before a downfall, the heart is haughty (18:12a).

Keep yourself, therefore, with the counsel of Peter to Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (1 Pt. 5:6).

Shalom.