“Wisdom to Live By!”

Pride is a roadblock to grace! You can be proud of a job well done and be thankful to God for giving you the opportunity and skills and strength to accomplish something that is good for you and others, and thus has the potential to glorify God as you testify to His work within you … but pride all too often exposes a heart set on self rather than Christ. A proud heart leads away from God because it sees no need for Him. It is like the toddler who screams, “I can do it myself!” Of course, none of us can do “it” ourselves … the “it” being this thing we call “life!” The foolish proclaim there is no God because they see no particular need for God. In their pride they truly think they are the masters of their own fate, but in reality they can’t see past the roadblock of their pride, and they don’t even want to do so. Unless God delivers you from such foolishness, you will insist on going your own way and ultimately reach the end of your own wisdom and strength with nowhere to turn. But God, who is rich in mercy, offers a way to approach Him, to find wisdom and to renew your strength. The pathway is humility! “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble!” (James 4:6). Solomon wrote it this way in Proverbs 3:34: “Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor.” Only when by the work of the Spirit you humble yourself before God will you find joy and peace in drawing near to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Here then, is the value of humility: access to the throne-room of our Father in heaven!! May you know the joy and peace of knowing that with a humble heart you can draw near to God and He will draw near to you!! “Humble yourselves before the Lord and HE will exalt you!” (James 4:10)