1 Pet. 5:5-7 –“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Ps. 138:6 – “Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar.”
The world looks at humility as a liability or a weakness. The scriptures teach just the opposite. Humility is an opportunity for the power of Holy Spirit to rest on believers. It is also the key to recognizing and understanding the voice of Holy Spirit. If we are “humble”, God will “look upon” us – meaning He will be intimate with us. If we are proud, He will only know us “from afar”.
What is humility? Perhaps one way to define humility is telling what it is not – not proud, not arrogant, not haughty, not assertive and not pretentious. Humility is not denying our talents and attributes, nor is it seeing in comparison to others. Humility is seeing oneself in the light of God’s greatness!
Humility is gained as the fruit of a desert experience. Moses, David, John the baptizer, and Jesus Christ all had significant training in desert situations. Most all who are greatly used by God earned a “desert training” patch! God even sent the entire nation of Israel into a long desert training exercise of forty years to humble them and bring them to a childlike dependence on Him before they could receive their inheritance (Deut. 8:1).
John the baptizer was an example of the fruit of a desert experience. John knew he was special. His conception was announced by Gabriel, and his birth was one of the most celebrated prophetic words in scripture (Lk. 1:67-79). John knew he had one of the greatest privileges of all the prophets as the forerunner of Messiah (Isa. 40:3). John knew he was special, yet he was humble. John was small in his own eyes when he looked up to Jesus. He embraced humility even when he knew that his ministry would end at the presence of Jesus Christ. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Many reading this are currently in a spiritual desert - dry, lifeless place without water (life of Holy Spirit). The desert may well be God’s cure for personal and/or prophetic pride. The greater the prophetic gifting in your life is; the more time you may have to spend in the desert to bring your character to a place of humility so you can be used as His representative of love and power. After forty years of preparation to be God’s man of deliverance; and after even more desert time with Israel, Moses still misrepresented God’s heart of love for His people by striking the rock, instead of speaking to it as instructed (Num. 20:1-12). Humility is the hallmark characteristic of a mature prophet of God.
Yes, God still uses the desert to build character in His future partners – for that is exactly what the prophetic ministry is – a partnership with Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 6:1). We need to embrace and welcome the desert. It means that God is imparting new levels of humility in our lives for His intended promotion which is on the way as we submit and receive His life. Just as John said, “He must increase, but I must decease.” Never the same – in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ps. 138:6 – “Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar.”
The world looks at humility as a liability or a weakness. The scriptures teach just the opposite. Humility is an opportunity for the power of Holy Spirit to rest on believers. It is also the key to recognizing and understanding the voice of Holy Spirit. If we are “humble”, God will “look upon” us – meaning He will be intimate with us. If we are proud, He will only know us “from afar”.
What is humility? Perhaps one way to define humility is telling what it is not – not proud, not arrogant, not haughty, not assertive and not pretentious. Humility is not denying our talents and attributes, nor is it seeing in comparison to others. Humility is seeing oneself in the light of God’s greatness!
Humility is gained as the fruit of a desert experience. Moses, David, John the baptizer, and Jesus Christ all had significant training in desert situations. Most all who are greatly used by God earned a “desert training” patch! God even sent the entire nation of Israel into a long desert training exercise of forty years to humble them and bring them to a childlike dependence on Him before they could receive their inheritance (Deut. 8:1).
John the baptizer was an example of the fruit of a desert experience. John knew he was special. His conception was announced by Gabriel, and his birth was one of the most celebrated prophetic words in scripture (Lk. 1:67-79). John knew he had one of the greatest privileges of all the prophets as the forerunner of Messiah (Isa. 40:3). John knew he was special, yet he was humble. John was small in his own eyes when he looked up to Jesus. He embraced humility even when he knew that his ministry would end at the presence of Jesus Christ. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Many reading this are currently in a spiritual desert - dry, lifeless place without water (life of Holy Spirit). The desert may well be God’s cure for personal and/or prophetic pride. The greater the prophetic gifting in your life is; the more time you may have to spend in the desert to bring your character to a place of humility so you can be used as His representative of love and power. After forty years of preparation to be God’s man of deliverance; and after even more desert time with Israel, Moses still misrepresented God’s heart of love for His people by striking the rock, instead of speaking to it as instructed (Num. 20:1-12). Humility is the hallmark characteristic of a mature prophet of God.
Yes, God still uses the desert to build character in His future partners – for that is exactly what the prophetic ministry is – a partnership with Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 6:1). We need to embrace and welcome the desert. It means that God is imparting new levels of humility in our lives for His intended promotion which is on the way as we submit and receive His life. Just as John said, “He must increase, but I must decease.” Never the same – in Jesus’ name. Amen.