It’s not easy to be humble before God.
It is not easy for us to get our own flesh to obey our spirit.
It is not easy to be humble before other humans so that we can please God.
Why does God even care?
That is something He asks of us, to be servants, to considers others better than ourselves,
to not be boastful and proud.
It sounds easy to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, but it is not easy.
Remember when Jacob wrestled with the Lord all night
and then finally God won and Jacob said I won’t let you go until you bless me.
God could have won immediately, but Jacob had to find his way with God,
to struggle through being humble before God.
We all have to get to that point, where we are truly willing to give our lives to God.
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh;
and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh.
And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:
for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. Genesis 32:24-30
Jacob is also the twin who wrestled with his brother in the womb.
He put his fist out of the womb first and then later, Esau sold Jacob his birthright.
Jesus makes us how He makes us. Some of us are bold for the Lord and in these instances,
the Lord was not offended and what Jacob did was not exactly humble in how we humans view humility.
However, before the Lord, Jacob was humble.
He sought the Lord with his whole heart and mind and strength.
So, the humility is not necessarily being weak but rather, yielding to the Lord.
Daniel did not follow the kings orders to worship another god, even though that was decreed.
Morecai never bowed to Haman.
When Martha thought Mary should be helping her. She told the Lord to have her help.
Jesus did not encourage Mary to help. Isn’t that a form of servitude and humility?
But He did not encourage her to help.
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Luke 10:42 Neither did he tell the disciple to bury their dead father,
which also seems like an act of humility. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:
but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. Luke 9:60
The difference between being humble before God and before men means that we do not fear men,
but we do fear God.