Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Thoughts on Humility - part 9 - Bible examples for encouragement

Sometimes we need a boost of encouragement, at least I know that I do and when others set the example, it helps me in my life and that is why I thought it would be well to look at some Biblical examples of humility.

My first one is Abraham, he was pleading for souls in Sodom when God said he was going to destroy the city and in Genesis 18:27  "Then Abraham answered and said, 'Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord."  Can we say the same, that we are but dust and ashes but take it upon ourselves to speak to God.

Jacob when he was about to meet Esau his brother after long years of separation and after he had deceived his father into giving him the birthright which really belonged to Esau.  Genesis 32:10  "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown your servant for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies."  Jacob spoke in humility too, when he said, 'I am not worthy, are any of us worthy of God's mercies, I don't think we are.  We should come to God in humility of heart and He will hear us when we come in humility.

Moses had been herding sheep in the desert for years and he was very timid, I guess you would call it timid, and when God called him to deliver Israel from Egypt, in Exodus 3:11 "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"  Moses was a very humble person and he learned his humility herding sheep.

Joshua was leading Israel after Moses death and they had crossed Jordan and men from Ai struck down 36 men and in Joshua 7:6 "Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads."  Read Joshua 7, it is a good story and a good lesson.  He fell in humility before God.

Job was a humble man through all his trials and never turned on God, even if it meant his death.  And in Job 42:5,6  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.  Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."  I think we should all read the story of Job and it might be well for us to repent in dust and ashes.  Romans 3:23 says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  So we all need to repent and humble ourselves before Him.

I think that probably is enough examples for today, but there are a few more that I would like to list tomorrow, so bear with me.  This has been such a profound study and has really caused me to do a lot of thinking and praying about my spirit that I will be humbly His and treat others better than myself and put them first in my life and learn to be dead to self.  What a lesson!!  I am totally impressed with the word 'humility' and what I have learned about it and what having humility will do for me in my Christian walk.  The examples have taught me that if they can be humble, so can I, how about you?  I have been totally blessed by digging into this important word, 'humility'.  It is so pleasing to God to have His people humble and willing to be used by Him in our Christian walk.  Let's pray for each other, shall we?  I need the prayers of others as I am sure you do.  Grandma Joan

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