Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 22:1-5
Prov 22:1-5
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. 2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. 3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
When Paul was telling Timothy to appoint overseers in the church, he told him not to appoint a man who was a recent convert, or he might become puffed up with conceit and fall into condemnation of the devil. There have been many good people who have been corrupted when a little honor or a little power was given to them. We are warned not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. To be humble is to recognize that all we are is from God, not ourselves.
Humility is not weakness. Moses was said to be one of the most meek of all men, yet he killed an Egyptian when he mistreated a Hebrew slave. He faced Pharaoh and defied him with power, but he did it in the name of God. Jesus is our example of perfect humility. We are told to have the same attitude that he had when he gave up all the glories of heaven to come to earth as one of us and then to die on the cross for our sins. He put our interests ahead of his own. This is humility.
We are never to consider ourselves as being better than others. We, at our best, are never worth more to God than the vilest of sinners. Jesus died the same for the sin of person that we think is so evil, as he did for me and you. This is why we are told to not look on others with contempt when we don’t agree with them, or when they are different from us in looks or nationality. True humility stems from a heart of love, which yields a heart of compassion. This allows us to joyfully serve others, even washing their feet. It also allows us to associate with people who are of lowly positions in life and to have them feel comfortable in our presence.
O Lord God, help me always remember that all that I am in life is because of you and what I have is from you. I realize that my relationship with you, as your child, is only possible because of your love and compassion for me, which prompted you to give Jesus to die in my place, for my sin. But I also know that you have never loved me any more than you love everyone else. I am special to you, but I am not unique or above others. Help me to always be willing to serve you by serving others. I come to you in the name of Jesus, the Lord of my life.
Robert
