Are We Humble Enough?

The Bible has proven to be a great mystery for mankind. A glimpse into the mind of the one who created all. His story isn’t always pleasant to read; it's not always logical from a human standpoint, but it is a book that—to those who seriously meditate on it—is a powerful ray of hope. As one poet said, “The Holy Scriptures are like the veil that separates a beautiful paradise from a world of survival and pain. To those who venture into its pages will peak underneath to catch a glimpse of the glory of God.”

Yet, Scriptures are full of mysteries that will ONLY be revealed at God’s return. In the meantime, we strain to better understand God’s way of thinking and quickly realize that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). But that’s why we need to do as God tells the Israelites in Isaiah 1:18-20, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”

It’s in the reasoning together that we better understand what God is looking for in His followers, in His children, in His people. Scriptures reveal that what He’s looking for is not about self, it's not about greed, it's not about revenge, it's not about fear…but that He can cleanse us from all unrighteousness, from all of the internal turmoil that many of us struggle with daily.

An example of His paradoxical (seemingly contradictory) teaching is in Proverbs 11:24, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” But that’s just the beginning, because the deeper we get into who God is and what He wants to see in us, the more we see the genius and liberating nature of God. Think about who Jesus told the Apostles would be the greatest in the kingdom of God: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)! Time after time, Jesus turned the common way of thinking about relationships, faith, charity, and even God upside down. This mysterious telescope into the throne room of heaven reveals that humility is a key ingredient to being able to understand God’s nature (Philippians 2:5-11, James 4:6-10, Matthew 18:2-5).

Are we humble enough to meditate on God’s word to better see how to live, how to find purpose and meaning in life, how to succeed, and how to find peace? God “has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4).