The Cross in an Obstacle to Pride
Humble Yourself – Part 2

Scripture Reading: James 4:6-10

Key Verse: James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Yesterday we described the many ways the cross becomes an obstacle to pride.  We were reminded that it is our job to humble ourselves before the Lord.  God will help us along, but we must choose each day to ultimately make those decisions that take humility on our part.

Today we study the upside of these decisions: God will lift us up!  It is an interesting paradox: We make decisions that will be humbling because of the worldly values surrounding us.  So, from the world’s view, we put ourselves down!  But because we are willing to put ourselves down, God then chooses to lift us up!  I have found that when God lifts me up, I go much higher than I would have or ever could have by promoting myself.

This is the way of the cross—the world evaluates us looking bad as we make these humbling decisions.  Then along the way, God begins to do things that we would never have imagined to turn the tables and make us look good!  By the way, sometimes our worldly friends never admit that they were wrong or tell us that the decision we made looks good now!  Their pride won’t let them!  However, we believe our printed key verse and God are at work “lifting up” the humble—trust Him!  Determine to live humbly before the Lord!

Father, I believe in your mighty power and your promises to us!  I will let you do the lifting and I will serve humbly!  In Jesus’ name, amen.