Humility Leads to Exaltation
Devotional Reading: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV
God’s hands are a safe and loving place to confess and cast the anxieties that weigh us down and wear us out. This process professes our need for trust in God. Humility says, I cannot meet all my needs or fight all my fears on my own. Humility punctures our pride and deflates our ego so that we see ourselves and God in the correct proportion. God is almighty and all powerful, and we are not. What’s even better is to see how small and light our problems are when they are lifted by God instead of loaded on us.
Casting our cares on him clears our vision and reserves our strength for the plans that God has for us today. Casting empties our minds, hearts, and hands of chatter and clutter so we can see and respond to the opportunities of the day. Casting also catches the attention of other people who wonder how we keep our cool when we are under fire or smile confidently while uncertain circumstances surround us.
Some crises come so we can learn and grow from the experience, or to give us the opportunity to comfort and serve others. Every situation gives you the opportunity to see new and familiar ways that God cares for you; as you grow, he is glorified. He will lift you up as you lift up prayers of praise and faith.
Prayer and Confession
Lord, I humble myself under your mighty hand that lifts me. Your hand guides and provides for me. Your hand is a shelter that shades and sustains me—the authority I trust and obey. Your strength is all I need to get through each day, in every smile and every trial. Thank you for loving me. I can rest knowing that everything I encounter has to come through your hands first; you prepare me and provide all that I need at just the right time, so I can rise above my circumstances into your embrace.
Further Reading: Matthew 23:12, James 4:10
Reading Old Testament Bible Stories: Exodus 13-14 ( The Exodus)
