Devotion: James 4:10

James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

On day one we learned that if we humble ourselves before the Lord, He would hear us and answer. Today we learn that if we humble ourselves before the Lord, He also lifts us up. Let’s look at it closer and see what we can learn today that is different from the last couple of days.

The Greek word for “humble” in this verse is tapeinōthēte. It is a verb meaning “to make low,” “bring low,” or “submit.” It comes from the root tapeinos (which means lowly). In this context, we can see that it is an imperative command telling us to voluntarily submit your heart, attitude, and actions to God.

The process of humbling ourselves is one of action and choice. We make the conscious effort to humble ourselves. We take on a low position of heart, acknowledging our need for God while choosing to repent of our selfish, worldly ways. We recognize the relationship we have with God, choosing to surrender to Him and acknowledging that we are lower.

We humble ourselves BEFORE the Lord, or in front of. True humility is an internal and sincere action. It is not an outward performance that we engage in for human applause. Our attitude and behavior are humble before Him because we realize we have no right to be anything more than that, and what other people think matters not. It only matters what He thinks.

And He will lift you up. What a glorious promise that is. He will lift us, carry us, guide us, and more. He guarantees that He will exalt us if we humble ourselves before Him. He will give us what we need to get through whatever we may be facing. He gives us strength to endure the trials of life. He fills us with confidence when we stand before others. He restores us when we have sinned and repent. He will lift us up.

Humble yourself today. Choose to lower yourself and be humble in His Presence. And know that He sees you and He will lift you up.

Prayer: Lord, Help me to remember to always be humble, trusting that You alone are worthy to be praised and I do not perform for others – I only serve You. Amen 

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