5 Minute Read
Be Still
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a couple of minutes to breathe deeply, to quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, prayerfully ask the Lord to speak to you in this time and let Him know that you will be listening and will make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Today’s Bible Reading:
Zephaniah 1:1–3:20
Revelation 10:1-11
Psalm 138:1-8
Proverbs 30:11-14
Listen to the Lord
Slowly and reflectively read the following verses and listen to what God will say to you through them. Then, consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Psalm 138:6 (NLT): “Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.”
Reflections from Scripture:
The God that the Jesus-follower serves is very unique. He oftentimes does not behave in ways that we suspect He should.
Psalm 138:6 is a case in point.
It begins with saying that “the Lord is great,” or in other words, He is superior to everything and everyone. He is exalted and above everything else in worth.
So, we would suspect that since He is so superior to anything or anyone, He would never associate with those below Him. Yet, the verse continues: “he cares for the humble.” He listens to and values those who are humble. They grab His attention.
Psalm 138:6 finishes with: “but he keeps his distance from the proud.” That means that He knows them … from a distance. He has no relationship with them. In no sense is He close to them.
Psalm 138:6 tells us about one of the attributes of God that is repeated often in the Bible. God demonstrates His goodness and glory by humbling himself on our behalf.
But, when we look at God and learn what He is like, it is never merely to gain more knowledge. It is ultimately for the purpose of life-change. Simply put, since God regularly humbles himself and delights in those who are humble, we should humble ourselves before Him and others.
So, are you humble? If not, ask God to make you more like Him.
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, You of all beings in the universe had no reason at all to humble Yourself. Yet, Philippians 2:3-11 tells us that You humbled Yourself, left Heaven and most of Your rights and privileges, and took on a human body and then died and rose again to pay the sin debt of anyone who will trust in You. Thank You! Now, I pray that You would enable me to follow Your example by living humbly with You and others. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com). His latest book is God’s Grace in the Real World. Connect with him on Facebook.
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