Low Man Wins!

JOB 2:29

29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

It has been my experience that in most cases God sees pride as a bad thing. As a matter of fact I cant think of a time in the Bible that God saw pride as a positive but a negative.....

One Bible phrase that jumps out at me is the one that says “pride goeth before destruction”...there is No way to say or read “that” where you can smile afterward.....that leaves you with a good feeling...pride....is what happens before destruction comes...

I guess we can say in a definitive way that the opposite of “humility” is “pride”.....and even a

a person who would be very unfamiliar with scripture will understand when I say...God can use and will bless humble people...but the proud, arrogant, haughty spirit, He will have no part of......

So Job says “when men are cast down”...not “if”, but "when".....there are times when we will be cast down....perhaps many times in our lives that will be the case....(Job knew first hand).....Now Job's resume was this: A Perfect man....Loved God....hated evil.....a rich man...affluent.....had a large family.....I guess we could say Job had a “dream: life.....anything his heart desired he could have had it........and during these years of “good” let me remind you he had not forgotten God....his relationship with God was strong and pure......and while I am sure many times the “casting downs” that come our way are an immediate result of things we do......that in no way means that “that” is the case every time! But let me say in passing that regardless of the cause, we will be cast down at times and

EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU can be assured of 2 things...#1 God is wanting to use that event and every event in our lives to mold us into the image of His Son Jesus....(that's his goal)

and #2.....for every casting down thank God there is a lifting up! That's what Job said....He shall save the humble person...

The old song says “When I'm low in spirit I cry Lord lift me up! I want to grow higher with thee! The Lord knows I can't live on the mountain, so he picked out a valley for me....and in it's in the valley, that's where He restores us.....that's where the fruit is born....

So Job helps us understand that life has it's ups and downs and thru all those times God is not just a spectator, but a participant.

And I am also reminded that in the valley...aka wilderness....(if the children of Israel's example holds true and I believe it does).....that our attitude while we are there in most times will dictate how long you are there!

Here it is in plain terms.....if you whine, get angry, fuss and fume at God then that's a pretty clear indication that the lesson he is trying to teach you may take a little longer and the things may even intensify in order for you to accept his purpose and/or learn what God is teaching!

David said after looking back on what he saw as bad times in his life and said [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Israel wandered for forty years because they were “bent” (another word for stubborn) on doing things there way instead of God's way!

And because of this....a journey that would have taken a few days turned into forty years.....thru hot burning deserts.....wilderness areas......

I am convinced that sometimes we are “cast down” for no other reason than for someone else to see how a true child of God should respond in times of crisis. Again I say God has his reasons......We should trust Him with Child like Trust.....(Most Children know and believe there parents have their best interest at heart)

the last part of the text said that He would “save the humble”.....that brothers and sisters is the quickest way out!

By Praying...talking to God.....submitting to his will..(hard to do I know)....we talk about letting God have his way in our lives...but when God starts doing that very thing we back away, run from Him....

Well ladies and gentlemen I am here to remind you that you can run from God, but you will never outrun Him.....David said If I ascend into heaven he's there.....If descend to the lowest depths he is waiting on me.......

So somebody let me speak to you today.....save yourself some time and a whole lot of tears, trouble and energy and submit your heart to God....

James 4:7 says “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”

Can you see the action in this verse?......run to God....and by doing so...the Devil will run from you...because if he pursues you as you run to God......He will get close to God....and He wants none of that....