be humble – Be Still…

2 Chronicles 26:1-23 – Watch Out for Pride!

Read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23

King Uzziah’s victorious life crumbles when pride takes over. This is precisely what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:18. It reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I would say that contracting leprosy destroyed Uzziah’s life. Do you think he realized his fate was the result of his change of heart?

Uzziah’s reign was the longest so far for Judah’s kings. Before his fall, Uzziah accomplished many things for the benefit of Judah. How could anybody miss that his success was a gift from the LORD? The Chronicler’s words speak volumes here. “And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.”

Lamentations 3:25-39 – Hope in Despair

Read Lamentations 3:25-39

This section of the third lament begins with hope rather than despair. The author wants the people to understand the hope that comes from depending on God. Clearly, living through the destruction of Jerusalem and watching loved ones die or be taken away was a brutal reality. Hard times are so much more devastating when we don’t rely on God.

This passage speaks of submitting to the “yoke of his discipline.” That is, we are to come willingly to God, accepting his discipline as a way of teaching us something. Have you ever thought that everything that happens to us in life has a purpose? The author encourages readers to accept what was happening and learn from it.

James 1:9-18 – Humility

Read James 1:9-18

One of the basic themes of James’ letter is that God exalts the poor and humbles the rich. Why does he do that? It’s so only the humble can boast. Think about that for a second. When we allow God to work in our lives and give God the credit for what we have accomplished, our whole mindset shifts. Who gets the glory? Certainly not us, and rightly so.

Even Paul was clear on this. He told us he was glad to boast about his weaknesses because that showed God at work when he overcame times of adversity. Our text here in James is using the example of being poor and rich. James may be recalling Psalm 49:6 which reads, “They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.” Think about some wealthy people you know. Do they humble themselves before God and give God the credit for their abundance? Or are they more like the one described by the psalmist?

Micah 6:1-8 – What the Lord Requires of Us

Read Micah 6:1-8

Have you ever been mad at God? So mad that you turned away from him and started “acting out” like a rebellious child? Maybe you’ve even yelled at him for something he allowed to happen. It just wasn’t fair. I can relate and think of time when I felt disappointed and let down only to look back and realize God was there all along. Life lessons are not always enjoyable.

In God’s message through Micah in this reading, we see God pleading with his people to tell him their innermost secrets. God wants them to verbalize what he has done wrong. He quickly points out several examples of great deliverance and provision. God wants to understand, and he wants to hear it in their own words.