Right Response
I remember as a kid that I hated to disappoint my parents in disobedience. I also remember a parent sending one of my kids to their room while I decided on a punishment. This delay sometimes helped me to calm down before handing out the discipline that was called for. I could tell when I got to the child’s room if they had the proper attitude of repentance.
The Lord responds to repentance. When the young king Josiah was only 26 years old he started repairing the temple to it original beauty and splendor. In the renovation process, an original book of the law was found. It was brought to the king who read it and repented. He then sent word that he wanted to inquire of the Lord about repentance and what he read there about what might be coming upon the people due to their disobedience over the years. Check this out…
26 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27 because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. 28 Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.”’
So they took her answer back to the king. (2 Chronicles 34:26-28 NIV)
The Lord loves a humble and repented heart. He was moved by Josiah’s humility and therefore he didn’t live to see the punishment that was being handed down for the nations previous disobedience.
I believe humility is a core component for me as a Christ follower to have. I believe that the Lord despises a prideful heart. There are times when I can become “proud” of humility and this hurts the Lord’s heart. I am not above being humbled when my pride puffs me up. It is crazy how fast my pride can swell and cause me pain when humility is imposed.
Jesus told the story of a religious leader and a tax collector who were both at the temple praying. The religious leader was proud of himself and prayed a haughty prayer about he was thankful that he wasn’t a sinner like others including the tax collector who was broken and humble before the Lord. In fact the tax collector was so humiliated by his sin that he couldn’t lift his eyes. Jesus spoke to the contrast of this situation. Check this out…
14 ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ (Luke 18:14 NIV)
I want to approach the Lord in humility. I’m not all that. I am a sinner saved by God Who has no limitations on His grace. I deserve to be punished, but instead He saved me and welcomed me into His family. I’m forgiven and full of hope because of Jesus. He is living in me and through me. I can’t take credit for anything I’ve done or said – it’s Him not me.
Pressing On!
Dwayne