“HUMBLE YOURSELVES!”

James 4:1–10                                (ESV)

“1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3 You ask and do not receive, because YOU ASK WRONGLY, to spend it on YOUR PASSIONS.

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD JS ENMITY WITH GOD? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world MAKES HIMSELF AN ENEMY OF GOD.

5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "HE yearns jealously over the Spirit that HE has made to dwell in us"?

6 But HE gives more grace. Therefore it says, "GOD opposes the proud but GIVES GRACE to the HUMBLE."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near to GOD, and HE will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 “HUMBLE YOURSELVES” before the LORD, and HE will exalt you.”

One of the most useful Bible Study tools I have is the internet search engine on my tablet.  Today I entered “Bible Be content where the LORD has you” and a response was James 4:1-10.  Only recently my mind was directed to “HUMBLE YOURSELVES” before the LORD, and HE will exalt you”, so to see that verse again let me know that GOD wasn’t through dealing with me about it.  To understand that ALMIGHTY GOD can direct my thoughts down a path that can lead me to a specific Bible verse is one of the easiest things for me to realize.  GOD knows that I never have had the Scripture recall I have wanted, so HE gave me a method of finding Scriptures via a tool that most people wouldn’t associate with the Bible.  

GOD opposes the proud but GIVES GRACE to the HUMBLE!  What makes you think that a HOLY GOD will change HIS Word just because you are having a bad day?  HE isn’t someone that will share HIS Glory with another (Isaiah 42:8)!  Again, a phrase I ran across recently will not let me go, “GOD, however, never invited me to be a co-GOD with HIM.” The sobering fact is that GOD doesn’t maim or kill me when I try to get “my way”!  

Then why do I have to constantly battle the enemy when I’m trying to hear from GOD ALMIGHTY?  Maybe it’s because I’m so wanting to hear what I want rather than what GOD is saying??  There is nothing more dangerous than to have a preconceived idea of what GOD is going to say when Scripture tells us HIS ways are NOT our ways (Isaiah 55:8)!

HOLY GOD, YOU are the GREAT I AM and I am but a lowly servant!  Use me to Glorify YOUR NAME however YOU choose and direct my thoughts to do whatever YOU desire me to do.  YOUR Scripture says “HUMBLE YOURSELVES” before the LORD, and HE will exalt you.”  My my hearts desire be to “HUMBLE YOURSELVES” to do YOUR Will in my life!!