Today's Ruminating on the Word of God: Humilty Versus Pride, God's Boundless Grace!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in James 4:6,

 

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

 

In this verse James quotes Proverbs 3:34. That passages says,

 

"The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
   but he blesses the home of the righteous. 
He mocks proud mockers
   but gives grace to the humble. 
The wise inherit honor,
   but fools he holds up to shame." Proverbs 3:33-35.

 

This is a recurring theme of Proverbs, our wonderful book of wisdom. All who are wise heed the admonitions within its pages and the issue of humility versus pride has a prominent role. Here are a few of the many verses on the issue:

 

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
   but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2.

 

"The Lord tears down the proud man's house
   but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact." Proverbs 15:25.

 

"The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
   Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5.

 

"Pride goes before destruction,
   a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18.

 

"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
   but humility comes before honor." Proverbs 18:12.

 

"Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
   the lamp of the wicked, are sin!" Proverbs 21:4.

 

"Humility and the fear of the Lord 
   bring wealth and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4.

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the admonitions given in Proverbs concerning the issue of pride versus humility, but this sample certainly points to the importance and emphasis placed on the issue. Not surprisingly, James aligns himself with the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs.

 

This issue of pride versus humility, while certainly a challenge lived out on a daily basis, makes perfect sense to me. As I stand before a righteous and holy God who is perfect in every aspect of his nature, I am "horribly humbled" as one who is wholly unworthy of anything from my Creator. I guess this might be a bit of what we we see in Isaiah's horror of himself when he found himself confronted with a vision of God on his heavenly throne. The overwhelming sense of "other-ness", his sinfulness was excruciatingly painful to him, such that he exclaimed, "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'" Isaiah 6:5. Thoughtful reflection of the Lord in his glory should reduce any man to humility! This is where God's grace comes in and the part that I really struggle understanding.

 

As James observes from Proverbs, God gives grace to the humble. That we should hold such a place in God's heart that he would express his grace toward us is something I struggle  to understand. It is not just that he chooses to bless us - us, a people who come from those who have set themselves to be God's enemies, who have rejected him and embraced a lifestyle of sin in opposition to him... it is that he "lavishes" his boundless grace from his wonderful heart of love for us! How do I understand this?!

 

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8. "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:31-32.

 

This wonderful grace of God that expresses his boundless heart of love for mankind is something that transcends my ability to grasp and understand. All I can do is simply accept it, embrace it, take great joy in it and celebrate it! Our God is a God of love!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com