Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor, and life.
The ways of God are not always your ways. Jesus taught us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The concept of being servant of all is not one that is easily grasped since it is […]

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.
Have you ever met a young man who acted like he was invincible? He has not yet had a major accident nor has he seen just how frail he is in this world. Through the hard knocks of life, he will […]

Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
The religious leaders were used to the people following them. However, because the Jews started following Paul and Barnabas, it took away from the influences of the religious leaders. […]

Acts 4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
Peter and John had healed a lame man and because of the boldness of their sharing the gospel with the people in […]

I Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Too many Christians worship at the gods of modern education. They obtain knowledge and they allow that knowledge to […]

Psalms 131:1 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
David understood that he was a great man who did great things for the Lord. However, David did not allow the fact that God was using him to cause […]

Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Moses was in mount Sinai. When the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down, they approached Aaron and asked him to make them […]

2 Chronicles 7:14 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.
Solomon was in the process of dedicating the temple to God and […]

Matthew 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

The disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and Jesus replied that unless they became as a little child, they could not enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus went on to say that if you were humble as a child, then you would be great in the kingdom of heaven. Another time Jesus told HIS� disciples that �If any man desired to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.� (Mark 9:34).

Christianity will change your perspective on life. As long as you are a slave to sin, your focus is upon yourself and what you can obtain for yourself. When you choose to allow the blood of Christ to remove the chains that bind you to sin, you now choose to be a servant of God. However, just because you are a servant of God, it does not automatically mean that you will seek God�s perfect will for your life. It does not mean that you will maintain a humble spirit.

Proverbs 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

The tenth characteristic of virtue Solomon was to look for in a woman he desired to marry was that she demonstrates a humble spirit in that no work was below her station in life. Several commentators on the Bible indicate that at this time in Jewish history it was the servant�s job to work with the spindle and distaff. However, the virtuous woman that Solomon was to look for would be a woman who was not only willing to work with her hands but that no job was too lowly for her and that by her example, she would teach her servants diligent working habits. The virtuous woman that Solomon was looking for not only was willing to work, but she was capable of working many different trades and thus was able to help wherever the need arose.

Acts 21:26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

If you do an extremely dirty job and are covered in dirt, upon completion of the project, you find yourself heading to the water to clean up. You personally do not desire to be caked in mud for a prolonged period of time. Even if you have not been doing work that has covered you with filth, you still take the time to regularly clean your body of even the minor filth that slowly builds up.

Acts 20:19 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:

Paul is speaking to the elders of Ephesus. Paul is telling these men that God is calling him to go to Jerusalem. Paul does not know what God is going to do, all he knows is that God desires for him to go. What is important to understand in this passage is the fact that Paul acknowledges that he has been tempted.

As Christians, we often make heroes out of the characters in the Bible. We often forget that they too were human and had to face trials and temptations. Paul was no different. There were times when he desired to quit but he had to persevere because it was God�s will for his life. Paul was faithful in serving the Lord but even though he was faithful, he was still tempted to sin and fall short of the glory of God.

Daniel 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

During the first year of the reign of Darius, Daniel came before God in prayer. This was not a simple little prayer. Daniel came before God abstaining from food and humbling himself. Daniel was praying for his nation. Daniel acknowledged his people�s sin and he pleaded for God�s mercies upon HIS people. While Daniel was praying, the angel Gabriel appeared. Gabriel informed Daniel that he was greatly loved of the Lord. Gabriel then gave Daniel the prophecy regarding the 70 weeks.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Pride has a way of creeping into your life. The sin nature of man is such that you desire to have others recognize you for the good things that you do. While you may be a humble individual, there will come a time when pride will well up within you and you will actually be proud in your own humility. While you may be active in serving the Lord, the sin nature of man will often cause you to desire the praises of man for your good deeds.

I Kings 18:46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Rain had finally returned to the land and Ahab was heading to Jezreel. Jezreel was approximately 16 miles from Mount Carmel. Ahab had just seen firsthand the hand of the Lord answer Elijah�s prayers by brining fire out of the heavens. Ahab had watched Elijah kill the prophets of Baal. While Elijah told Ahab to eat, Elijah went up on the mount to pray for the rain to come. Once there was an indication of rain, Elijah sent his servant and told Ahab to make haste to Jezreel.

Ahab may have had a chariot to enable him to return home but Elijah had the Lord�s strength. Even though Ahab presumably was driving his chariots as fast as he could in order to avoid being stopped by the rain, Elijah still was able to out run the horses.

God had told the Israel in Deuteronomy 17 that when they had a king, the king was not to multiply for himself horses. God did not have a problem with horses, HE created them. The problem with horses is that it was a symbol of military advantage. The more horses you had the greater your army. God did not desire the kings of Israel to be concerned with their military strength. God desired to fight the battles of Israel and God desired to show HIMSELF strong in the life of the kings as they learned to humble themselves.

Ahab may have had the ability to quickly return to Jezreel. However, God desired to demonstrate to Ahab once again that Ahab needed to learn to humble himself and put the Lord first in all that he did. God enabled Elijah to run as Elijah had never run before. For approximately 16 miles, God enabled Elijah to run faster then a group of horses pulling a chariot. The chariot was not going slow because scripture is clear that God was upon Elijah enabling him to run.

Ahab was entangled with the things of the world and as such, he watched Elijah who sought to do the things of God have a superior advantage when it came to heading for shelter. Ahab should have beat Elijah and everyone else to the city, but God desired to show Ahab that it is important for a king to humble himself and to put all his strength in the Lord. Elijah did not ask the Lord to give him more strength, Elijah just ran and the Lord gave him the ability to run. Elijah watched as the Lord used his life in a supernatural way to demonstrate to a king that it is God who the nation was to trust.

You have placed your trust in the Lord, but do you see the Lord working through your life supernaturally in such a way that HE receives the glory. Just as God used Elijah to illustrate a point with Ahab, so too, God desires to use your life to demonstrate to the world what God can do with one who dedicates their life to the Lord.

Do not be caught up with the things of this world. Instead, allow God to control your life. There may be times when it appears your world is about to crash in around you but it is God who will give you the strength to escape if you will but put all your trust in HIM. By faith you must learn to put God first in your life. It is by your faith that God will be able to use you and you will see how God is able to show the world HIS power. By living by faith, God can do things through you that you never imagined.

Judges 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! For because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

Gideon was a humble man. When the angel of the Lord first came to him and gave him the command from the Lord regarding his delivering Israel, Gideon attempted to explain his family�s position in Israel and his position within his family. Gideon was not use to being a leader, he was used to doing what everyone else told him to do. The Lord must have seen the humility and obedience of Gideon and knew that this would be a man who would obey HIM and would do those things to rid the nation of the Midianites.