A Call to Humbleness

Image via unsplash.com

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is just." When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands." 2 Chronicles 12:6-8

I didn't want to end this month's theme without mentioning these two passages from Chronicles. They have been on my heart lately and are fitting for our humility theme. In these excerpts from Chronicles we read how God, even though placing plagues and drought, provides his people with a chance to be saved from his judgement on the way that they have been living. He says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." It isn't until later in chapter 12 that we discover the people received God's warning. They fell to their knees in prayer, sought out every bad way within in, and turned to walk in God's ways. When God saw this he said, "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance".

Sisters I wanted to share these passages with you because of all the things they teach us about God and humility. They demonstrate that God is just, merciful, faithful, trustworthy, and forgiving. They teach us that humility is a necessary part of the process of repentance. We must understand our limitations in comparison to God's greatness; understand that nothing we can do or that we are, happen without God. He is a necessity in our lives for without him we wouldn't have existence.

In Romans 12:3 when Paul is talking to other believers he says, "By the grace given me I say to every one of you, do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought. But rather think of yourselves in sober judgement in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you". I think this verse gives us a great picture of what humility is and looks like. Being humble is looking at yourself with "sober" eyes. Specifically, being humble means not being proud or arrogant; being conscious of one's failings (Dictionary.com). 

Sisters, it's my prayer tonight that we can walk with each other on this journey, encouraging one another as we struggle with sin. I pray that God would plant humility in our hearts that leads to repentance so that we can get back to doing what is good.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

In Christ,
Hillary