Proverbs 25:1-28
Saturday, 24 June 2023
Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here," than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. …. -Proverbs 25:6-7
Proverbs is a wisdom-treasure book and very specifically deals with daily practical issues of life. Each time when the word of God is delivered to us through the Holy Spirit, it’s with a purpose and helps in our edification, correction, and reproof (2Tim. 3:16-17). Let us hear what God speaks to us today!
The key verse draws our attention to the principle of humility, one of the important aspects of our Christian walk that we will look into:
· Do not exalt yourself- The word of God is very clear about the necessity of being humble and not exalting ourselves; instead, in all circumstances we need to exalt His mighty name, as all glory and honour belongs to HIM alone. When we look into the life of John the Baptist, he hailed from a priestly family of the tribe of Levi, his birth was a well-known incident in his place, he was “the voice in the wilderness” and many understood and accepted him as a prophet. As prophesied in the word of God, his task was to pave way for the Lord Jesus Christ. But the disciples of John could not acknowledge the ministry of Jesus Christ and when they brought the matter to the attention of John, his response was “He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30). Denying ourselves and following the principle John laid out is the only way to exalt Christ in our lives.
· Do not covet any position- Never run behind any positions in this world. Worldly positions will be shaken or be removed at one time or other. Don’t covet and try to climb up the ladder to any position especially in the spiritual area. About David, the word of God testifies: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts13:22) There is no authority except that which God has established-authorities that exist have been established by God. (Rom.13:1). God is the one who appoints and removes. Jesus taught us that “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:42-45, Matt.23:11). Let us humble and be submissive to His plan and He will promote us to positions that He desires in His time, not ours.
· Promotion to a higher place- The one who does not exalt himself and does not covet any position shall hear the voice, "Come up here." The word of God emphasizes the same: "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last." (Matt.20:16). Jesus spoke thus: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25). People who try to promote themselves will be humbled but those with a humble attitude will receive honour at the right time. Instead of being humiliated before great men just wait for Him to honour you: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1Peter 5:6)
The lives of many servants of God, illustrated in the Bible teach us the principle of humility. Our Master Jesus Christ HIMSELF has shown us a good example to follow (Phil. 2:1-11).
To Meditate: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus… (Phil. 2: 5)
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