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1 Peter 5:6
6 Humble yourselves [tapeinoo] therefore [oun] under [hupo] the mighty [krataios] hand [cheir] of God [theos], that [hina] he may exalt [hupsoo] you [humas] in [en] due time [kairos]: KJV-Interlinear
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, NASB
In the general sense, the word humble means to be modest or unassuming, but in the spiritual sense, humble means to set aside ones own priorities, beliefs, attitudes and such, and replace them with Gods truth.
That is often difficult to accomplish when your own beliefs interfere with truth, as you often times will try to open up the rules of compromise, and include your own views mixed in with Biblical views.
Prov. 3:34
34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. NASB
Deut. 3:24
24 'O Lord God, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Thine? NASB
Luke 1:51
51 ‘He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. NASB
In life you are always faced with submitting yourself to Gods will and thus receiving the marvelous blessings of grace, or constantly trying to incorporate your views into or over and above those of Gods, and then reaping the power of His discipline.
In this universe and in heaven, God is the sovereign power and authority. On this earth, neither you nor I, nor anyone in humanity has the power or authority to make the day one minute longer or shorter, or extend our life by even a minute.
Our opinions mean nothing. Gods opinion means everything.
Therefore, recognize your place, sooner than later, so that you will enjoy more blessing than suffering.
The biggest problem that folks seem to have, is that they take themselves too seriously, and think too highly of their own opinions. And, it is just too embarrassing to pretend that you are trusting in someone that you can’t contact, can’t see, can’t even locate on a map.
But, God possesses the power to punish, and He certainly possesses the power to exhalt.
And one last thought for this lesson. Is it not odd that all of the problems of the last decade or so have come together in this single year. The seeds sewn in the last of the 90’s now resulting in the current financial crisis, the environmental opposition to drilling for several decades resulting in the oil price crisis earlier this year (prior to the election), the disregard of terrorists in the 90’s resulting in the current fight against them in this decade, an unqualified candidate defeating a qualified candidate in the general election, a liberal candidate with government running everything views winning the presidency, a governor auctioning off senate seats, car companies failing to design more economical cars, unions reaching all time greed highs with total compensation packages exceeding 70 dollars an hour verses their competition who are at 45 dollars an hour, liberal thought that the ways of old (which have made this country great) need to be changed (to what), conservative thought that has become rigid and losing perspective.
And all of this and more coming to fruition this year!
And why? Because society has been drifting negative toward God, doctrine, and their spiritual lives for a long time. Once people drift away from God, they dig in their heals for this false beliefs.
What should we expect in the near future? That everyone will simply discover their mistakes and change? Or, that people will continue to embrace their beliefs and decisions, leading society to even greater trouble.
In almost every historical setting, it takes great crisis before people abandon their faulty views. The last great crisis in our country was back in the thirties and forties, and it took from 1929 to 1945 (16 years), before things turned around. And what exactly happened during those years?
And this is in our verse. God has a mighty hand (emphasis on the words ‘mighty hand’), and we have been witness to many events coming to a head this year. No one has elected to change or recognize the need for their change, so God has given society all their choices.
Back in ancient times, the people chose Saul rather than David. The country was nearly destroyed.
But, regardless of how the rest of the world goes, you always have an out. And that out is God, Christ, doctrine, and your spiritual life. Don’t adopt a causual attitude toward life and then be surprised when reality gets really serious (emphasize the word ‘serious’). You will have no one to blame but yourself (even though people will seek scapegoats).
