Daily Devotional for Wednesday, January 31

God’s Justice and Dependability

“And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down,” 2 Samuel 22:28.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). Whenever we talk about pride, this is a common verse people like to quote. It reminds us how much God appreciates true humility. Many people struggle with selfish pride. They are not willing to humble themselves and think this world revolves around them. Even Christians can be guilty of making things all about them. King David struggled with pride. His selfishness had led him to sin against God with Bath-sheba. He paid the price repeatedly for those sins and his selfishness. Countless lives were lost because David wanted what he wanted. Thankfully, the consequences of his selfish actions had humbled him. As he reflected on his life, he expressed his thankfulness to God in many Psalms.

If you have not read 2 Samuel 22, I encourage you to read it. It almost exactly parallels Psalm 18 and is a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving. David had learned many valuable lessons in his life, including some painful lessons on humility. David was not the prideful man he once was. He was where he was in life because God had blessed him.

Early in my ministry I preached at a church just down the road from where my grandpa had pastored many years earlier. The treasurer asked me what my name was. I told him, and with pride, I started talking about my grandpa and his connection to the community. Sometimes, people gave special attention to me because they had known him, and I enjoyed that. As I was building myself up, the treasurer stopped me and said, “I don’t care about any of that, I just need to know who to make the check out to.” Needless to say, I was instantly humbled.

JUST A THOUGHT
Instead of looking at your accomplishments with pride, thank God for what He has done for you.

Chris Floyd