For Lord’s Day, August 12, 2012

Dear Saints,

After last Lord’s Day’s sermon on Genesis 33:1-16, “Humble yourself for peace,” I noticed a theme in my devotions through Proverbs this week.  It was said in the sermon that peace is a product of humility. Proverbs has a lot to say about what results come out of humility — or rather, what humility must proceed to produce desirable results.  Notice …

• Proverbs 15:33 says that humility comes BEFORE “honour”.  One becomes noble by becoming humble.
• Proverbs 18:12 makes a parallelism of contrast with humility: what comes before destruction? “A haughty heart”.

Thus, the opposite, undesirable results also follow the opposite of humility:

• When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)
• Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. (Proverbs 13:10)
• Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
• A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. (Proverbs 29:23)

May the Lord give us humble spirits, that we be upheld in His honor and uphold the honor of Christ.  For,

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life. (Proverbs 22:4).

Semper Reformanda,

Pastor Grant