Monday, July 15, 2013

Humbleness...the Antidote For Pride


1 Chronicles 11:1-3 -  All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood.  In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.' "  When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

 

The day had finally come when all of Israel recognized the calling on his life…and the leaders of Israel formally anointed David as king over the entire kingdom.  It had only been around 20 years since Samuel first anointed him king when he was 15…and just around 7 since the split kingdom of Judah had anointed him king…making this the third time he had been consecrated to this lofty position. The death of Saul…who refused to believe God had anointed anyone other than his sons…cleared the way for them to give complete power to David.

 

This was no simple matter for David…for he immediately made a contract with these leaders…and signed it in the presence of God…confirming before man the power God would have over his reign as king. It must have been one awestruck moment for him as they poured that oil over his head for the third time...confirming the call on his life he had waited for since he was 15

 

It must have erased for good any doubt satan had placed in his heart while he hid in caves from Saul.  It must have melted away any seeds of bitterness or anger over losing his best friend Jonathan.  It must have erased any fear…hurt…or sadness he had felt over the last 20 years or so…lifting  his spirit to new levels….and confirming for the third time he was following the will of God.

 

One thing God had definitely placed in this man was a true sense of humility.  For in this moment he allowed it to rule his heart. His heart had to have grown a few sizes that day…as he listened to the leaders remind him of the job God had ordained him to do when he was just a teen.  It made the combining of the two nations an easy task…the contract they signed binding them all together in God’s will for the kingdom.

 

It is a simple reminder to me to check pride at the door to my heart…and allow God to grow my own heart into a better likeness of his own.  Maybe I need to quote David’s Psalms  25:9 each morning … “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” Perhaps then I can realize the power humility can give to a heart that has been deceived by satan …made to wait over twenty years for its purpose to be fulfilled…and chased into caves to preserve its life.

 

Thank you father for this story of David’s humility…and the reminder to work toward having more humility in my own heart.  Teach me Lord how to be humble…in all that I do…so I can use the power it can give to my heart…to grow into your servant…and be used to spread your gospel.  Guard my heart from any trick of satan today…to replace the humbleness you have already given me with his evil pride.  Amen.

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