Need a Lift?

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, For He will lift you up."

Do we ever take the time to really listen to these words while singing them during worship? If we look closely, we will notice that if we do not humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, He will not lift us up. This act of humbling one's self was a big problem for the Israelites.

Through the Old Testament, we read that the Israelite people had gotten too big for their britches, and then God had to sit them down and punish them. That is where we find the Jewish people in the book of Ezra. They were a remnant of people returning to the Promised Land after captivity. The punishment they received while in exile was brutal, and it left the tribes in shambles and no temple to worship in. Coming out of exile, they are tasked with rebuilding the temple, but they were also tasked with ending marriages they intertwined themselves in with unclean people in the Promised Land when they conquered it. The key to them having been able to accomplish all this work was the mindset they portrayed in Ezra 9:15.

"O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."

The Jewish people were humbled in the Lord's sight because they knew He would lift them up.

How essential is this principle for us today? Do we go through life thinking we can do anything and do it all alone? When you are having struggles in your life, do you rely on yourself? A smart thing for us to do would be to acknowledge our guilt in the eyes of God and depend on Him. We must show our humility and put our total faith in Him. When we are at our lowest points in life, we must look up and humble ourselves because He will lift us up. Go out this week and show your humility in everything you do.

— Matt Jones, Preaching Minister