Devotions 25-10-07 (I Peter 5:5)

"You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Since I am no longer a younger man, I will let the younger ones apply the first phrase to their lives. I will begin with the "all of you" since I am part of this. The task is clothe myself with humility toward others. God gives a little incentive to this statement saying that He will oppose those who are proud but will grace to the humble. It would seem we would want to do the humble task rather than having God opposing us. It is amazing how we resist the humbling of ourselves.

I think it may come from our lack of knowing God for who He really is. His love and care for me and His desire to see me succeed. I get impatient with God and so I take things into my own hands and the trouble begins. The truth is that He wants to exalt us if we would only cooperate with Him and follow His wisdom which is far greater than mine.

I can be opposed by God or I can be given His Grace. What a choice! God fighting against me or His giving me grace which is the power to do His will. Anyone would be foolish to turn down His mighty Grace. Yet, I often do this when I let my intimacy with God to be disrupted.

Lord, I choose Your Grace today and humble myself before You and others. Lord, I want to be a servant to all so I might show them Your love and power to give us Your marvelous Grace. Lord, I know this is not easy to do because my flesh will want to resist this but I want to obey You more than anything. Lord, help me to be Your humble servant today.