Lowly Heart, Highly Graced

Have you ever met a “self-made” person? I haven’t. Without God, people wouldn’t even have a physical body or be alive. But today it’s all about self-improvement and self-sufficiency and self-help and “selfies.”

I think I’m figuring out that it’s not all about me. Sometimes I still forget that. But it’s really all about my heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus Christ. Every good thing comes from God and it is all available through Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 8:6:
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of [out from] whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by [means of] whom are all things, and we by him.

Jesus Christ was lowly-hearted, and the Father graced him more than any man that ever lived. As we keep our hearts lowly to the Father, we will abound in His grace. Here’s what Jesus Christ said.

Matthew 11:29:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

When we are meek and lowly to our heavenly Father, like Jesus Christ was, we will find rest to our souls. We won’t be confused and irritated and upset because we can’t do it all ourselves. Learn from Jesus Christ’s example–stay meek and lowly for a life of rest and peace.

God talks a lot in the Bible about being lowly. “Being lowly” means that we trust Him and not ourselves. When we do that, He can help us. Here are a few things He tells us about being lowly. You can look up these verses to see more.

• God exalts the lowly (Luke 1:52)
• We’re to “hang out” with the lowly and not think we know it all (Romans 12:16)
• God comforts the lowly (II Corinthians 7:6)
• We can have the lowliness and gentleness of Christ (II Corinthians 10:1)
• We rejoice that God exalts us when we are lowly (James 1:9)
• God resists the proud and gives us grace when we are lowly (James 4:6; I Peter 5:5). Both James and Peter quoted this from the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:34:
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

God is always good and wants to help everybody. But when people scorn God by not trusting Him, then He cannot help them. God gives His grace to the lowly. Think of all God’s gracious acts with Moses.

Numbers 12:3:
(Now the man Moses was very meek [lowly], above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Here are more things that God does for the lowly:

• He doesn’t forget their cry (Psalms 9:12; 10:12)
• He hears their desires and prepares their hearts (Psalms 10:17)
• He satisfies them (Psalms 22:26)
• He guides them in judgment and teaches them His way (Psalms 25:9)
• He does good things and they are glad (Psalms 34:2; 69:32)
• He gives them an inheritance with peace (Psalms 37:11)
• He saves them (Psalms 76:9; 149:4)
• He lifts them up (Psalms 147:6)
• He will give them greater joy (Isaiah 29:19)
• He sends ministers to preach to them (Isaiah 61:1)

The next time we think we can do it all for ourselves, let’s remember that God is our sufficiency and enjoy the benefits of being lowly. It comes highly recommended by our heavenly Father!