Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:10). When I was gloriously saved at eighteen, I humbled myself before the Lord day and night; and I continued to do that every day. I want to know that I am always living in God’s will. Some of you claim to want the will of God, but you only want it when it matches your will. You have to put your will aside and take God’s will.

Jesus brought everything you need to make you a brand-new person in Him. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus brought a new and living way, and it is the way of humility. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (I Peter 5:6). God will move for you when He is ready to move. More importantly, He will move when He knows you are ready for Him to move, not when you want Him to move. Some people will claim they are ready to receive from the Lord, but they are not God-ready.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4). We are to be child-like but not childish. There is a big difference. Paul said in I Corinthians 13, When I became a man, I put away childish things (I Corinthians 13:11). Some people never get rid of their childish ways, and they love to pout. That’s awful! They just want attention, so the best way to cure a person who pouts is to ignore them.

I don’t want people’s attention; I want God’s attention. I want His grace, love and tender care. I want to serve others the way Jesus served when He was here. We are to be His hands, His eyes and His feet. We are to have His strength, courage, full assurance and knowledge of what the Father wants; and you will receive those things as you humble yourself before the Lord.

Never Exalt Yourself

You must be able to read the Holy Scriptures and take their discipline without being offended. When you get haughty and offended, you don’t have the humility of Jesus. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted (Luke 14:11). God hates stubbornness and ego. You may want to do things your way instead of God’s way, but your way won’t get you into Heaven.

You may think you’re so smart and that you can get by without God, but you are very foolish. The Bible says, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel [of the Lord] is wise (Proverbs 12:15).

Jesus came and said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus showed us how to walk when He was on Earth, and He is to be our example. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps (I Peter 2:21).

When Jesus was on Earth, He humbled Himself before the Father every day; and then He gave His life. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). In Jesus’ day, that was the most shameful way to die; but He willingly humbled Himself to the Father’s will.

The Mercy of Divinity

Evil men beat Jesus almost to death at the whipping post, but He humbled Himself and endured it for our physical healing. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus was in excruciating pain as He hung in shame on that cruel Cross, but He still showed love and mercy to the thief on the cross next to Him. And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him [Jesus] to be put to death. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:32,39–43).

As God watched His beloved Son die, it was so awful that He had to turn His back on the scene. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me (Mark 15:34)? God and His Son had put the whole plan of redemption together, but God had no idea how hard it would be for Him to watch that plan in action.

God’s Grace Is Enough

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12). That is being like Jesus. Those bowels of mercies have to come from deep within, and you must carry God’s humility and longsuffering every day. You may claim that you can’t control yourself when things get tough; but if you can’t, you will never make it to Heaven. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city (Proverbs 16:32).

If you will humble yourself before the Lord, you will have all the grace you need. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (James 4:6).

When Paul was traveling and preaching the Gospel, one of the devil’s angels of evil followed him wherever he went and stirred up trouble. He sought the Lord three different times asking to be delivered from that angel; but the Lord told him, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul humbled himself before the Lord and accepted that answer, and he never mentioned it to God again.

Paul humbled himself so much that when he was about to die on Nero’s chop block, he wrote one last letter to Timothy, his son in the Lord. He told him, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (II Timothy 4:6–8). Can you say that?

Paul’s Divine Humility

Paul should be an example to all of us. Before he was saved, he hated Jesus Christ; and he had many Christians put to death. He even admitted he had been the chief of sinners. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (I Timothy 1:15). But after the Lord knocked him down in the dust on the road to Damascus and saved his soul, he became the greatest apostle ever.

Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the Gospel, but God set them free. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:23–26).

Paul was imprisoned at other times as well, but he said he was the Lord’s prisoner. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love (Ephesians 4:1,2).

Not only were those in authority tormenting and persecuting Paul; there were others as well, but Paul said he was serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews (Acts 20:19). Paul never complained or stopped his work. He continued to humble himself before the Lord, and the Lord always gave him the strength and grace he needed to go on.

Fasting Brings Humility

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5). Do you get upset when people don’t do things the way you think they should be done, or when you are asked to do tasks you would rather not? Are you impatient with people at work, or do you always treat others like Jesus would? The Bible says, A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit (Proverbs 29:23). Do you have a humble spirit the Lord is pleased with?

Fasting is a great way to humble yourself before the Lord. The Psalmist knew that; and he said, I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom (Psalm 35:13). Jesus taught fasting, and He practiced it when He was here. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred (Matthew 4:1,2). Jesus and many others mentioned in the Bible received answers through fasting, and people are still receiving answers through fasting today.

After Jesus had delivered a boy who was deaf and could not speak, He said, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). The kind of people Jesus was speaking of were children of God who are dedicated and consecrated. You will never be what God wants you to be without fasting. A true Bible fast will enable you to say from your heart, “Lord, I will do anything for you.”

God Rewards True Humility

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life (Proverbs 22:4). So many people seek life and happiness in the wrong places. Only by following Jesus can you have true life. He said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Notice He didn’t just say life; He said abundant life.

Read what God said to the Israelites: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14). Those same words hold true for us today.

Parents, you must teach your children to be humble, and they will learn that humility by seeing it in you. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). There is no guarantee that children will follow what they are taught, but they will never forget what they have been taught. They will always know the right way whether they choose to follow it or not.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). I have pleaded with some who were about to die and go to hell to accept the Lord, but they were too stubborn to humble themselves; and they are in hell today. That is so heartbreaking.

God, help us to be humble before you. Help us to speak with love and grace and to always act like Jesus. When you are in a situation where you don’t know what to do, you should always ask yourself, “What would Jesus do or say?” If you ask that question sincerely, you will always receive the answer you need. Then you have to be willing to accept God’s thought. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5,6). The Lord wants to direct all your steps and work out every problem, but He can’t do that unless you humble yourself before Him.

Do you have the humility of Jesus working in your life, or do you need to renew your covenant with Him? If you have never been saved, now is the time to give your heart to the Lord. You will never make it to Heaven without divine humility, so turn to page 6 of this magazine and say the sinner’s prayer today.

God bless you. I will see you in Heaven.