Some movie sequels should have never been made. How did anyone think they could improve on the original JAWS? Well, not being much into movies at all, I do think there are some biblical messages that not only call for a sequel but a flat out rerun from time to time; such is the case with the subject of humility. Today I want to pick up where we left off yesterday in my blog by continuing some thoughts on God’s “Prescription For Pride.”

Let’s take a moment to…
Recapture What God Has Taught Us…

Your assignment at the conclusion yesterday was to look up several passages of scripture. Let me provide them here as a foundation to our time today:

1 Peter 5:6: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, (ESV)

Proverbs 29:23: One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (ESV)

Psalm 10:17: LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear (ESV)

Isaiah 57:15: For thus says the One, who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (ESV)

Many of us want to experience the presence of God; we want spiritual revival, but we want it our way. As you can read in the scriptures, it’s not about our way; it’s God’s way! God’s way is always begins with a contrite, broken, low spirit. So I ask you today, do you want that in your life? Do you want to experience the presence of God in a brand new way in your life?

Let me tell you what it takes to get there by helping us to…
Understand What That Means To Us Personally…

First, The gateway to experiencing the presence of God is complete humility.

Second, God will NOT share His glory with anyone.

Third, There are some hazards to arriving at complete humility:

1. The hazard of Pride: We all have an “I” problem. We will never arrive at complete humility until we allow God to be Lord over us.
2. The hazard of Position: Self-exaltation will never help you to arrive at complete humility.
3. The hazard of Performance: Yes, excellence should be the desire of our hearts in God’s work but never to the point that our performance takes center stage to the exclusion of glory unto our Lord.
4. The hazard of Praise: There is only One worthy of praise and glory, and His name does not begin with yours.

Fourth, anytime you humble yourself before God through fasting and prayer, you are making an investment in your spiritual life and future. One of the entry points, not the only but one of the major entry points, is what the scripture calls prayer and fasting. What is fasting? Fasting is when you abstain from food with a spiritual goal in mind. In the Old and New Testament, to be humble means to be low before God. It means you choose to be weak before God. It means that you choose to be insignificant. The scripture here indicates we are to lie low when we are completely humble. We need to make ourselves flat before God. We need to put ourselves under God completely fasting. Fasting is an action you take that is humbling yourself rather than a position you hold.
Now as we conclude this today let’s…

Act on What God Has Said To Us…

I want to direct your attention again to God’s Word as we close. Look up these verses and let God apply His Word to your heart:

Psalm 35:13
Psalm 109:24
Ezra 8:21-23
Matthew 6:16-18
Matthew 9:13-15
Matthew 17:21
Acts: 13:2 and Acts 14:23

May the word humble become more than just a word we study, but a lifestyle we seek to live as we experience the presence of God in our lives.