Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt you. James 4:6 (NASB).

Humility may be one of the most sought-after virtues in the Bible, but possibly the least achieved. We know it when we see it, but it is difficult to define. It is one of the Christian graces that if you try to pursue it, you may distance yourself from it. You cannot choreograph humility into the script of your life. God has to facilitate the process. If you are trying to get it through self-effort, the accomplishment negates the desired result.

Long ago, the famous preacher, Harry Ironside, from Moody Bible Church, worried that he was not as humble as he ought to be. He asked a friend what he should do. The friend counseled him to make a sandwich board with the plan of salvation in Scripture written on it and walk around the busy shopping district of downtown Chicago for an entire day. Ironside thought this would be a humbling experience, so he walked around the Windy City, spouting Scriptures along the way. When he finally returned to his apartment, he thought about how humbling his excursion had been and was feeling pretty good about the experience. As he was removing his sign, he caught himself thinking, “There is not another person in Chicago that would be willing to do a thing like that.”

Humility is a contradiction in terms. When you feel like you are closest to achieving it, you are farthest from possessing it. When you realize how far you have to go in acquiring it, you are actually closer to having it. Meekness is a virtue that if gotten through your self-effort, can make you proud of your humility. It is a grace that we must continually pursue, but recognize that we can never entirely grasp.

Billy Graham, arguably the greatest preacher of the modern era, might teach us something about humility. On one occasion, someone stole his Bible. He told someone, “I can’t see why someone would want it, it had my name printed right on it.” He was clueless about the fact that a Bible with his name on it, was the very reason someone would want to steal it. Pride always gives us an elevated sense of self-importance. Humility keeps our life in perspective. Over the years, people have studied the preaching of Billy Graham, his style, content, and structure. Many have tried to emulate these, with not near the success he had. Could it be that the secret of his success is not the mechanics of his preaching but a less apparent reason, humility, that God always honors in a person’s life?

In God’s Kingdom, the way up is always down. In the world, you can usurp authority, but in ministry, conceit impedes your progress. Pride is just an incorrect view of who you are in relation to who God is. Accurately compare yourself with God and the only reasonable response will be humility. Humble yourself before God, and He will lift you up.

We are still learning to go even lower, which is the only way forward. And we are still learning to stop for the one in the middle of a sea of need. We are still learning what it means to be a friend of God and to value fellowship with Him and each other above all else. We are not professional, high-power, efficient missionary machines. We measure the quality of our lives by the depth of our relationships. We are still learning to love.

We cannot function in this world without the power of our God. Some of us haven’t yet been brought to our extremity, so we aren’t fully and forcibly aware of our dependence. But our time will come. We need Him to stay alive. We need Him for our health. We need Him for our healing. We need Him for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We need more than any human being can do for us. We need sheer, raw power in the goodness and love of God. We need power to appreciate our God, to make Him the greatest pleasure in our lives. We need power to rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. We need power to experience His Kingdom, to move in His environment.

How do we get power? It is the grace and gift of God. He plants in us a hunger that will not be denied. He opens our eyes to our poverty without His powerful presence. He grants faith where there was none. In His power we can rest, even while under demonic attack. His power fixes our eyes on Him. In His power we are able to discipline ourselves in everything. We can cast our cares on Him, because He is willing to use His power on our behalf.

How can we be sure He cares for us? The cross. We go to the cross always to find confidence to approach Him. We will not empty the cross of its power. There and only there do we find salvation of every kind. At the cross we come to know our God and His heart toward us. At the cross we learn to become utterly dependent on His power.

“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5 (NASB)

You ever open your computer screen, scroll through the awful headlines and think to yourself, I’m glad I’m not like them.

I have. My guess is that you have, too.

The Bible reading in Luke today is both awful and interesting. In the first part of Luke 13, Jesus speaks of an incident that apparently took place in the temple. Roman soldiers cut down some Galileans and their blood was mixed with some of the blood sacrifices.

This appalled the Israelites. The Lord’s answer—as usual—is both unexpected and profound. Basically, He states that unless the people repent, they will all suffer the same fate.

Not what the people wanted to hear.

No one likes to hear about repentance.

Why?

Repentance means turning around, going in a different direction, admitting guilt. And face it, most of us like going a direction of our choosing. And according to our culture, you should never feel guilt—it’s always someone else’s fault.

Not according to God’s Word. Not according to Jesus.

In fact, let’s go back in the gospels to the first mini-message of our Lord:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 NASB

What does He mean?

Jesus is saying in essence, I’m here. Turn to me. Don’t follow your own way. Give me your life. You need a Savior for your sin.

How about we skip over to John 8. A woman is caught in adultery. The Pharisees try to trap Jesus into going against the Law—read the account yourself. My point is at the end, when it is just this condemned woman and Jesus, He tells her, “From now on, sin no more.”

In other words, turn from your sin and turn to Jesus.

In this culture, we don’t often use the word sin. We say we “made a mistake,” or “were at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Or even, “I was hanging with the wrong crowd.”

All of these may be true.

Or not.

Philippians 2:9-11 states:

“Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (NASB)

Judgment will one day come to this old earth. Those who have trusted Christ and repented of their sins will be saved. Those who have not will be condemned.

If you are a follower of Christ, be glad. Turn from any known sin.

If you are not, trust Him today. Repent of going your own way.

The Apostle Peter said this in Acts 4:12,

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Turn.

Today.

The Titanic was the largest, most luxurious ocean liner of its time and called “unsinkable” by many. During its first voyage from England to New York City, the British steamer sideswiped an iceberg around 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912.

Two and a half hours later, it broke apart and sank. The ship carried enough lifeboats for only half of its 2,200 passengers and crew. Approximately 1,500 people lost their life.

Many assumed that the iceberg had ripped a long gash in the ship’s hull. When the wreck was recovered in 1985, no such tear was found. Researchers learned that the hull was made of steel that became brittle in the frigid North Atlantic waters, causing it to fracture easily during the collision. Some suspect the Titanic was traveling too fast for an area where there was a possibility of icebergs.

One night, Jesus walked on the water, and his disciple Peter wanted to join Him. Peter left the boat and was doing fine until he looked around at the high waves. Then he became terrified and started to sink (Matthew 14:25-30).

Like Peter, we may be accomplishing great things with God’s help, and we look around at our frightening circumstances. Then our faith starts to waver, and we get more than a sinking feeling.

At other times, we start to look at our successes and ignore the need to safeguard our spiritual growth. We may start to feel unsinkable, like the Titanic.

But there are always hidden dangers that can wreck our witness and ministry. The only way to safely navigate life is to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on ourself or the circumstances around us. He will help us complete our voyage, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me.” (Psalm 69:1-2, NLT)

“… I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity …” Philippians 4:11-12 NASB

One Sunday, I was sitting in an easy chair in my back yard watching my fountain’s bubbles pop instead of going to church; I began to feel a bit guilty. Even reminding myself that my wife was sick with serious bronchitis didn’t take the lazy bum feeling away.

I let my mind go as if I was at a resort surrounded by palm trees and the sound of the ocean, and suddenly Paul’s voice seemed to intrude and say: “I learned to be content.” Trying to block out the peaceful musical sounds from my fountain, which were hypnotizing me, I thought: “How did Paul learn to be content?”

Still semi-hypnotized, a memory appeared in my mind and caused me to take a step back in time:

My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary in Mexico. We were staying at the Mayan Palace Resort in Rocky Point, Mexico. We had been blessed by receiving an unexpected upgrade to the Grand Mayan section of the luxurious resort. We were happy campers.

As I stood on our balcony looking down at a miles-long private beach owned by the resort, I was very awed. But, I was also concerned by what I had read in Luke 6:24(NASB): “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.” As I’ve always been a bit uncomfortable with riches, I wondered if we needed to jump in our car and burn rubber away from the Palace.

When I calmed down, I realized that any verse taken out of context is a pretext. Thinking about the context of Luke 6 made me feel much better. Jesus had said that when we have abundance, we must be on our guard as our life does not consist of our possessions or pleasures. God loves us. Giving is a natural desire for anyone in love. However, gifts can be dangerous.

Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 NASB.

Then, the Holy Spirit answered my question and told me how Paul learned to be content.

Paul first said:

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Philippians 4:12NASB

And then pow! He tells how contentment is possible by saying in the following verse: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NASB

Paul’s relationship with Jesus put everything into perspective and was satisfying enough to strengthen him into contentment.

After I told my wife what I’d learned, we held hands and went on a long walk on the beach and picked up shells normally found in seashell shops. The sounds and mist from the waves seem to be a living motion picture we had walked into. We felt our Lord’s warm presence as the three of us walked and enjoyed being together. We were content.

I was very thankful to have been shown what the Holy Spirit taught Paul about contentment. He had said that:

Jesus and contentment are partners. Don’t reject His loving gifts to you; accept them with gratitude and use them humbly. Hold on to the love in Jesus’ tender hands and this will be a very good day.

Lessons can be learned with just about anything or in everyday life experiences.

The other night, my son was up late and he was looking for our cat, Bella, in the dark. He didn’t want to wake me as the kitchen is next to my bedroom, and I had left the door cracked for my cat to come in since she likes to lie under the desk.

I heard him in the kitchen because I am a light sleeper and as quiet as he was trying to be, I noticed a small light in the kitchen. I don’t have a night-light in there, just a small lamp but this was just a small stream of light.

Seeing that light, I ventured into the kitchen out of curiosity. I saw that he had opened the refrigerator door to peer around the corner to the living room to see if Bella’s shadow was in the window sill. It worked! The tiniest light can brighten up a room.

Are we lights for Jesus for all to see? The curious will wonder why we are different. We should dispel the darkness wherever we go.

Do you remember the story about the ten virgins? They had oil lamps, but some had used up their oil and did not have any. They had failed to keep their lights burning and when they needed it, they were frantically searching for some light. But, it was too late.

Others were wise and kept their lights shining brightly. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and He is the light of the world. When we accept Him in our hearts that light also shines in us for others to see.

As His followers, we must continue to read the Bible, fellowship with believers in church to grow and pray for direction, and pray for others to keep our lights shining at all times for the world to see.

If we keep our focus, and our gaze fixed upon the Lord, then others will see us shine and be drawn to the light of God’s love. They are groping in darkness without the knowledge of Jesus and how much He loves them, so we must keep our lamps filled with the oil of the spirit of God.

There is something in the countenance of the ones who stay close to Jesus. It comes from the inside to the outside. It comes from our hearts, and His love is reflected in our eyes and in our smiles to a lost and hurting world.

I have a replica lampstand from Jerusalem of the seven candlesticks. It was an important piece in the tabernacle of Moses, and it reminds me to keep my light burning and to pray for those who need to know that Jesus is the Light of the World.

If a matchstick flame can lighten up a room, can you imagine how much our lights can dispel the darkness in the world? I urge you to not let your flame grow dim.

Matthew 15:1-3 says,

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.” (NIV)

“Make a lamp stand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it.  Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lamp stand—three on one side and three on the other.  Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lamp stand.  And on the lamp stand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lamp stand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lamp stand, hammered out of pure gold.

Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lamp stand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Exodus 25:31-40 (NIV)

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure…because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:13-14 NIV).

Of Kings and Prophets was a short-run television series focusing on the life and times of King Saul and David. With the current proliferation of Biblically-based movies and TV dramas, it was interesting to see how accurately the characters were portrayed.

One element appearing extremely accurate was the humanness of Saul. He was a king, God’s anointed one, but he was far from perfect. When God chose him, Saul had a lot of great qualities, qualities that made him king material, but over time he became a guy with issues. He was arrogant, extremely jealous, paranoid, he experienced mood swings, he had his own agenda, and if the TV portrayal was even semi-accurate, he struggled with self-discipline in the area of food!

Saul was a man of action, and when things seemed to be taking too long, he didn’t have a problem helping the situation along. The Philistines mustered to fight Israel and the people were terrified. Saul waited for the prophet Samuel to come to offer a sacrifice and ask God’s favor prior to engaging in battle, but after seven days, Samuel still had not arrived. Impatient, and watching his people scatter, Saul, determined to regroup and fight, offered the sacrifice himself. As soon as Saul finished the sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul made excuses for his actions, but it was too late. Although it took a while for the consequences of Saul’s action to fully play out, that day was the beginning of the downfall of his kingdom.

Rather than learning from his mistake, Saul really started messing up when he began acting on his own interpretation of what the prophet Samuel said. At this time, when a prophet spoke, it was the same as God speaking. So when the prophet said God wanted Saul to destroy the Amalekites, including women, children, and livestock, as inhumane as that sounds, he meant it. But there on the battlefield, Saul made a decision based on his own interpretation of what God said. He decided not to kill the Amalekite king or slaughter the best livestock. And once the battle was over, Saul didn’t praise God for victory. Instead, he set up a monument in his own honor. Clearly, Saul was making decisions based on his own interpretations and ego.

Saul wasn’t the first to make this mistake. Going with your own interpretation of what God said goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, when Eve decided to believe God didn’t really mean what he said when he instructed them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Unfortunately, we often do the same, interpreting what God tells us in a manner that doesn’t require as much from us. You know, it’s one thing to not be in tune with God’s voice, to be out of fellowship with him and not hear his directives. It’s really quite another to hear God, and then make the decision to go with your own interpretation of what he said. In some ways, that’s worse because it is a blatant disregard for God’s authority in our lives and it’s disobedience.

It’s easy to look at a Bible character like Saul and see his mistakes: the places he interpreted what God said incorrectly, the times he was impatient, or allowed his ego free reign. It’s a lot harder to look at our own lives and see that we really aren’t much different when it comes to making our own interpretation of God’s directives.

In 1 Samuel 15:10, the Lord said to Samuel, “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and not carried out my instructions.”

The Lord also said this about mankind in the days of Noah and about the Children of Israel.

Today, we still resist God’s voice. Does it bother us that we grieve God by disobeying him with our own interpretations? Perhaps it does to some extent, but maybe not enough to change us. Fighting against our own desires, our egos, and our own interpretations takes focus, determination, and God-infused strength.

Halfway obedience, obedience with a twist of our own interpretation, is really just disobedience.