From Humility to Glory: The Path of the Faithful

Consider a student who got the best score in class and, excited, shouted in class that he was finally smarter than everyone else.

But then he tripped over a backpack and landed on the floor.

Everyone laughed, and instead of feeling ashamed, he lifted his head and said, 'Well, I might be smart, but I better watch where I’m going!'

That’s humility in action—recognizing we all stumble sometimes!

1. Humility in Prayer

Luke 18:9–12 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

We all know this guy. He’s the first to tell you what you’re doing “wrong.” He knows more Scripture by heart than you do. You name it, He’s the “Spiritual Expert.”

Let’s be honest, He’s the guy that Mac Davis wrote “O Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble” about…

Luke 18:13 ESV

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

We don’t know this person though. In fact, most people may not even like them enough to know their name, but listen again to what Jesus said about him…

Luke 18:14 ESV

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We seem to be so busy primping and preeing spiritually, so that others will be impressed with our “spiritual prowress,” that we fail to recognize that we really only have an audience of one.

Cierra sent me a video the other day of a “preacher” with a Bentley on the stage… Yes, it was a stage of performance, not an altar of God, he was boasting about the Bentley as if God was pleased, and his next statement told the world who his God was…

A man in the audience asked, “Can we drive it?” This charletan said, “No, God would not be pleased.” That is true, “god would not be pleased because the ‘god’ he spoke of was himself. God is not pleased with this heretic’s pride and theatrics ~ especially not in His Holy Name.

Humility is only part of the path of the Faithful…

2. Faithfulness Amid Trials

There are those who think it some sort of ‘necessity’ to ‘suffer’ for God. Throughout history, people have had their ideas about trials and suffering. Many have “self flagellated” beating themselves with whips “in the name of God.” They boasted of their self-inflicted “sufferings.” This isn’t what Jesus was speaking of when He told us of trials, tribulations and suffering in His name.

Paul had a unique understanding of suffering for Chirst. Remember, He was the ringleader standing there when Stephen was stoned. Even through much of his ministry, Paul suffered in Roman prisons, was shipwrecked, beaten, certainly suffered for the cause of Christ and ultimately paid the price of his life for Chirst.

This passage to Timothy from Paul is referred to as “his Valedictory…”

2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Trials and tribulations certainly will come to all of us, we must as Paul did, be faithful until the end. Those that spend their lives boasting of their suffering, miss the real purpose of the suffering in the first place.

Suffering produces patience, and patience and patience brings faith. That faith in God.

3. Longing for Divine Presence

As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that faith in God is much easier to exercise when one actually finds themselves more regularly in His Divine Presence.

David spoke eloquently said it like this:

Psalm 84:1–3 ESV

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

I can’t think of a better place to be but in the Holy Presence of the Lord Himself as David found out…

Psalm 84:4–6 ESV

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

I pause here because there is something noteworthy to understand. David speaks here of the Valley of Baca. Easy to gloss over, but the depth of this Psalm takes on new meaning when you understand that the Valley of Baca was a place of sorrow. You see, it’s easy to speak of God’s Holy Presence when we find ourselves in good times, but it’s an entirely different thing when we can feel His Holy Presence and basque in His Goodness when times of hardship and sorrow occur.

Psalm 84:7 ESV

7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

You see, we find ourselves stagnant in our growth in God if we only experience good times. Adversity causes us to grow in strength.

Much like any physical training. One must allow resistance to strengthen us rather than “resist the resistance.” We can’t expect to grow stronger without resistance.

4. Hope in Restoration

During the last year, I had knee surgery. I went through quite a bit of Physical Therapy. Now, keep in mind, I’m not a fan of PT, but the reality is if I didn’t go through the PT, the resistance, the weights, the endurance training, my knee would not have grown stronger. I would have had to deal with much more pain and weakness not just in my knee, but also my hip, my ankle and my back.

The point is the adversity makes us stronger. Adversity while going through it, is not pleasant, but it brings about great rewards.

Joel 2:23–27 ESV

23 “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. 26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Again, if you just read these words, you may miss the important part of the story. The context the Prophet of God writes about, is times of extreme hardship in the land of Israel. They had just endured an extreme plague of locusts. Plagues of locusts wipe out crops, no crops destroys economies. Destroyed economies destroys families, destroyed families cause collapse of the very moral fabric of society. Understanding what Israel was going through during this time gives us understanding of the magnitude of the Prophet’s words of hope.

Now, I must… One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture.

Joel 2:28–32 ESV

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Remember that this passage was also quoted on the day of Pentecost by Peter when thousands were saved and the Church was birthed.

Our journey is that of Humility in Prayer, remaining faithful in our trials, Longing for His Holy Presence, and live in Hope of the Restoration of all that has been lost.