The Lord has given us a word over the year 2024, stating that it would be the year of lift at Glorious. And like good Bible students, we then have to search the Scriptures to find the full counsel of the Lord as it pertains to this lift; so today we will be unpacking some of the given principles of lift taken from the Scriptures. One of the scriptures that teach us of God’s kind of lifting is found in James 4:10, which says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”. The apostle here admonishes believers to practise humbling themselves, which indirectly indicates that humility is not a natural posture; one must consciously and actively engage themselves in order to walk in this virtue. He makes it known that it is only at the point of humility, that God Himself comes up and exalts the believer – the believer does not exalt himself, it is only God who is able to do the lifting. This is just the way it is, the way “up” in God’s kingdom is “down”, a complete contradiction to the ways and teachings of the world. This same principle was taught by the Lord Himself, who said, “… whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 – this is a promise, and it is an aspect we cannot avoid if we aim to see lifting in 2024.
Another apostle, Peter, also addressed this matter, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). He also teaches under the general understanding that submission is really not something anyone is born into, and that without intentionality, we will fail every time. You see, being humiliated is not humility, but the active engagement of bringing yourself under is what is likened to being clothed with humility as a garment. The apostle also gives a stern warning, “God resists the proud”, He elbows and rejects them – and whoever wants God standing as their opposition? It is also important to note that this humility does not refer to low self esteem, where one thinks so little of themselves that they fail to also accept what the Lord Jesus has done and all they have in Him. So pride has two ends of the stick: those who assume themselves above everyone else and those who think so lowly of themselves beneath the measure given to us by Christ. Humility is accepting what the Lord has said about us, being merciful and forbearing towards one another, being meek and agreeable, being soft and adverse to strife – these are all the virtues that express humility. Apostle Peter continued, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (v. 6-7). The apostle shows us that an expression of this same humility also comes in the form of casting our cares on the Lord, valuing His Word, power, and majesty above all issues of life and acknowledging that He is able to handle everything we cannot. Once we have casted all our cares on Him, then we can move onto the next stage of the exhortation, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (v.8), wherein roaring entails noise, and a stirring of fear. Lions do this because they aim to separate the sheep in fear, and once they have them on their own, it’ll be easy for them to slaughter. Lions do not go after packs, that is why it is very important for every believer to be plugged in a community that will shield them out in the field. The passage continues, “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (v.9) – shining light on another one of the enemy’s tricks, where he makes you believe you are the only person with challenges, which leads to an exaggerated view of the problem and a feeling of hopelessness! No, there is nothing new and nothing unique, members of the Body of Christ have faced and conquered similar challenges in the past and if you commune with those who’ve gone ahead, you’ll be strengthened with wisdom for your own path.
The best illustration of the God-kind of humility was shown by Jesus, the Son of God. We read in Philippians 2, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (v.6-7). This passage begins to teach us that Jesus Himself had to walk through the process of humility, that while He knew He was equal with God, He still took the form of a servant and came in the same likeness of His own creation that He Himself sustains through the word of His power. He made Himself of no reputation, rid Himself of all the glory and power that comes with being Almighty God, and took on the limitations of men, deciding to come and serve the very men that He created for His pleasure. Service is a way of the kingdom; there is no humility without an embrace of the place of service. The passage continues to tell us that Jesus humbled Himself (v.8), He was not humbled, but He Himself humbled Himself, being obedient to the point of death, where He submitted His own will for the Father’s. It is on that basis that “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v.9-11). God promoted Him, and put all systems under Him, giving Him acceptability across all spheres: heaven, earth, and the demonic realms – and to this very day, His name is being mentioned in all the earth by all men.
A closing example to consider on this subject of humility would be Moses and his family members, Miriam and Aaron. Miriam was the one who tended to Moses when he was placed in the Nile river at birth, so they knew him well and familiarity had brewed within the camp. After Moses married an Ethiopian woman, these two responded, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (v.2) – they began to talk about Moses, instead of addressing their challenges directly with him with humility and emotional intelligence. However, it is written, “… the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (v.3) – these are the words of Moses, he was able to write boldly about himself because this was the feedback he received from God himself. The Lord saw Miriam and Aaron’s behaviour, and His anger was kindled against them. We read that the Lord called all three and spoke up for Moses against his accusers (v.6-8). After the Lord had punished Miriam with leprosy, Moses interceded on her behalf and she was restored. Moses did not defend himself, God defended Him, he had no reputation to cling onto – which gave God the best platform to make him a great name and a great heritage! Let us learn from Moses!
Prayer
Father, we thank You for this year of lift that You have declared. We thank you for your mercy, that covers our weaknesses, and Your word, that instructs us on the right way to go. We receive your word with meekness, and we believe it is able to make of us what it has said, and we thank You for your everlasting love, which inspires us to continually conform ourselves to the image of Christ. In the name of Jesus, amen!
