Life Capsule for Today Date 5th October, 2023
Theme: Understanding grace (5)
Text: John 1:17
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. NKJV
Topic: Grace: A portion of the humble
Today’s Reading: Prov 3:33-35
33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. 34 Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. 35 The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools. NKJV
Words of the Ministry:
Today as a follow-up of yesterday’s sharing, we learnt that grace flows from up down and we experience the love of God as grace if we are humble, not seeing ourselves as not needing God or high above God. The matter of pride and humility is central to the bible, the bible teaches God resist the proud in both the old and new testaments, it could be found in the books of Proverbs 3.34, James 4.6, 1 Peter 5.5-6. It is so central to God’s economy that we almost always have to comment on pride. I intend to consider the danger of pride and how it affects our enjoying the grace of God by looking at the life of a bible character named Uzziah, who was a king in Judah for 52 years (2 Chronicles 26).
The account says when King Uzziah first assumed the throne, he feared God, acting in a manner that pleased God (2 Chro 26.5) as a result God prospered him, God helped him to conquer many cities, his fame grew far and wide. Unfortunately, from verse 16, he became proud of his achievements, his hearth was lifted, he didn’t know his place anymore, he became overreaching to the point of entering the temple to burn incense before the lord, a service that was particularly reserved for the priest. He disobeyed the law of the Lord forgetting his greatness was by God’s grace, he felt his wisdom had earned him his fame and success. When he was confronted by the priest, instead of repenting in humility, he became furious due to the pride of his achievements, as a result God struck him with leprosy, he was isolated and lived as a leper till his death.
From the story of Uzziah we can draw some light about grace and pride. A major factor that determines our success or failure is whether we display pride or humility. Instead of depending on our own strength, we should humbly look to the Lord for his grace. By nature, we are prideful people, but we can walk in humility with God’s help. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). Let’s be careful to always humbly look to God to receive His grace. Pride promotes self; humility lets God do the promoting. Pride considers what’s best for me; humility considers what’s best for others. For us to maximize the grace of God, we must acknowledge him in all we do as without him we can do nothing, and it is by the grace of God that we are what we are today. Stay humble and don’t overestimate yourself or see yourself as superior to others. For us to enjoy the grace of the Holy Spirit even in our Christian living, we must stay humble.
Bible in One Year: Mathew 12
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