Humility!

Humility!

The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord Is riches, honor, and life. Proverbs 22:4 AMP

The Context and Focus:

The book of Proverbs is the book of one-line messages, and today's verse is one of these. In tnis age where we measure success by physical resources, it is hard to know the true value of anything. In an age where men regard people as important based on monetary value, it is difficult to truly determine what real worth is. Men are filled with a sense of their own importance, based on earnings, position, power, privilege or knowledge. Pride is one of the manifestations of man's fall into sin in the Garden of Eden, and since the fall, man continues to find new ways to commit atrocities. Until a man totally surrenders to the God who made him, he will never experience the peace that a surrendered life can get from God. If God is not Lord of a life, that life cannot have all that God offers. For every command of God, there is also the devil's alternative. If God demands humility, the devil offers pride. Who am I totally surrendered to? Who rules my heart?

The Message:

I cannot command humility from a heart that God does not rule. If God also commands it, He will reward it, if done in line with His will. The reward God gives is also that which man cannot deny or revoke, because it is not given to man to block God's move. If I obey God, I have access to all He is and gives. Pride and humility are both from the heart of man, but their effects and manifestations are seen in my actions and reactions. You may not see pride or humility with the naked eyes, but when they are in full form, they are obvious. Pride is one of the fruits of the flesh, while humility is also one of the manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The reward does not always come immediately you get it, and there are times when it appears that God is testing me to see if indeed what I have is humility or something else. When God commands humility, He will bring tests my way to prove that what I hold is the genuine article. 

The Conclusion:

The question then will be: "Have I met God"? Does he know me as His own? Can He command and direct my actions and reactions in line with His will? The reward is what man cannot ignore, and they are listed as riches, honour and life. Solomon is the classic example of what it means to worship and fear God, and to be rewarded by Him. As long as Solomon submitted to God, he was blessed abundantly by God. As soon as his heart was distracted from God, and he began to lust after other women, there was a disconnect. May that which God gives me not deny me that which God wants me to have for all of eternity. May that which is of this earth, and is temporary, not deny me that which is eternal. The end of all things is eternal life, and that is what God gives, along with that which I need for life and Godliness. Humility is the key that gives access to all the above. The fear of God is the foundation on which all the above are based. You will not get far without these. God's time of favour is here.