Verse of the Day 6/10

James 4:10  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.   English Standard Version (ESV)

For today's verse, we'll return once more to James chapter 4.  This is probably one of the easiest verses in the Bible to memorize and one of the hardest to put into practice.  When it boils down to it, our pride is at the root of many if not  most  of our sins.

I think that it was back in the 70's when Mac Davis had the popular his song "O Lord, It's Hard to be Humble".  He should have stopped there.  He went on to say "when you're perfect in every way".  That's as far as I'll go with the song but you get the drift.  Most people have a very high opinion of themselves and in their own eyes they compare favorably to just about anyone.  It should not be so with a Christ follower.  We should be aware of our sins, our faults and God will reveal them to us if we spend much time is His word and humbling ourselves before Him.

Pastor Jame MacDonald acknowledges the difficulty of humbling yourself and just what it looks like being put into practice when he writes:

Humbling yourself is hard work. It is not something you think, it is a do thing. Lean into it:

When you receive a poor performance review or are passed over for a promotion—humble yourself.

When a co-worker cuts corners or takes credit for your work—humble yourself.

When something is taken that rightfully belongs to you—humble yourself.

When your friends betray, desert, or disappoint you—humble yourself.

When your life isn't turning out the way you wanted—humble yourself.

When you feel crushed under the weight of a crisis or a deep, bitter disappointment—humble yourself.

When it's hard to love the people God has placed in your life—humble yourself. 

Chances are, one of those scenarios applies to you, applies to me today.  How will things change if we "lean into it" and humble ourselves through His grace.

Mac Davis had it half right, it truly is "hard to be humble" but with God all things are possible even for those who may have thought they were perfect in every way.

In Christ,

Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

James 4:6-10New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

"God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble."^[a]

⁷ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.