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 when we are singing them during worship? If we look closely, we will notice that if we do not humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, then 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 always see the people getting too big for their britches, and then God has to sit them down and punish them.

That is where we find our Jewish people in the book of Ezra. They are remnant people coming back to the Promised Land after being in captivity. The punishment they received while in exile was brutal, and it left the tribes in shambles and no temple to worship in. They are tasked with the rebuilding of the temple, but they are also tasked with ending marriages they intertwined themselves in with unclean people that were in the Promised Land when they conquered it. The key to them being able to accomplish all of this work is the mindset they portray 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 are humbled in the sight of the Lord because they know that He will lift them up.

How essential is this principle for us today? Do we go through life thinking that we can do anything and that we can do it all on our own? 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 need to show our humility and make sure we put our total faith in Him. When we are at our lowest points in life, we need to 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