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....
So I'm thinking the key word in our text verse is "humble"....that word means to have or show a modest or low estimate of one's importance.....
One of best lessons learned and many times the hardest is that you're not God!
But we "choke" on that many times.....It's ME!, MINE! What I'm going to do!
Instead of what can I do to live my life to please the one who gave me life!
Friend...You can't even be saved without humbling yourself! “Lord forgive me! I am a sinner! I can't save myself! I need you! I accept Jesus! That is a prayer of humility!
And that is the embryo of a life that will grow and mature into a perfect fully grown functioning Christian and that element that will grow us and nurture us thru this life is humility!
It DOES NOT STOP WITH SALVATION! It is a humble heart that strives to be more like Christ!
Let me give you an example.....Now Jesus wasn't one to hand out undeserved compliments.......Jesus was a lot like an umpire.....He called em like he saw em....but He was the Son of God ...even better ...HE told it like it was! He knows everything...some folks have said that Paul, Peter, Moses, Elijah was the greatest to ever live other than Jesus...
But Jesus said this about “Who was the greatest to ever live”.... Mathew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:
Jesus with no hesitation said that John the Baptist was second to only Him...none greater he Said!
So John? How does it feel to have such accolades placed on you! To be honored in such a way? You must feel really good! To have Jesus say such a thing!
Here's what John said....
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
So
John said...”I know I am gaining notoriety”...but that is not my goal, my purpose....my goal is for me to fade to the background and let Jesus shine as He was meant to....
and by the way....you know what the “setting” was for Jesus's statement about John....John had begun to have doubts because he was in prison that Jesus was who he said he was....
Regardless of your circumstance today...God is still God.....health or no health...wealth or no wealth....peace or no peace...happiness or sadness, pain or relief. Jesus is still Lord!
And the good thing about valleys is they are temporary......don't put down stakes in the valley....when Jesus extends his hand, grab hold and walk out!
So this "humility" business...It's deeper and wider than I ever imagined....it is key to our growth....we won't grow without it....pride will keep you in an infancy stage in your walk with the Lord.......
In the movie "the Passion of the Christ at the garden scene there was a grotesque image of a baby with a man's face...and I thought that is creepy....and i also thought that we are plagued often in the kingdom with the same dilemma.....it gets tiring and weary carrying people who should be old enough to walk by themselves......babies with wrinkles and facial hair still gives me the creeps.......pride will stunt our growth....make us dependents.....instead of crying, whining, and pitching fits we should be at a stage in our lives when we can handle a little storm......letting a bad day send us into a frenzy..(O lord what am I going to do?) .....when we should be at a state in our life that we can “example” and “disciple” others, we're “spitting up on ourselves” because we can't handle the meat that God wants to give us......
So then...how do I make this work? ( I like to preach application principles)......
I love football....(give the example of low man winning) remember....Low man always wins
Remember when Israel was in the wilderness....(I refer to this because what was written aforetime was written for our learning”
When God fed the Jews....(the immature,hard headed, unbelieving) Jews...
He fed them with manna......and he did it in a way to teach them and us great lessons....
He would let the manna be visible “when the dew would disappear”....which tells me that the manna was on the ground....the Bible said they had to go out and “gather” it......and in order for that to happen they had to “lower themselves” bend down and get their blessing....God didn't deliver it by mail...He could have made it to appear in their kitchen! But in order to get it they had to “humble” themselves”.........you will never be closer to God than when you are on your knees....
You see that problem you have, that prayer you need answered, that thing that is keeping you up at night.....the salvation the lost person needs....is at the feet of Jesus....
When Peter went to find Jesus after Christ's resurrection and Peter's failure, He fell at Jesus feet! He didn't throw his arm around his shoulder like old fishing buddies (which by the way they were)....I wonder in my mind did Peter see the nail holes in those precious feet as he held him there?
Friend what you need is at the feet of Jesus!
