Psalm 18:27 “You save the humble”
This, Lord, is your requirement for salvation: humility. It can be defined as “seeing ourselves as you see us.”
As we stand before you, the Mighty and Eternal One, the Star-breather, the Galaxy-maker, the History-ender, the Pure and Powerful One, what can we do but see our sinfulness, our unworthiness, our puniness–and see the immense contrast between our shriveled, rebellious hearts and the stunning beauty of your Holiness.
To you we must bow in humility, accepting your view of our situation. Somehow you work with our will to bring the desire and the decision to surrender, to reject the illusion of independence for the reality of total healthy dependence on you.
Reality is that you are the One in charge, who holds together the nucleus of every atom in the universe, who keeps every star in place, who brings the dawn, gives the rain, provides our food—we are totally dependent on you in every area without knowing it! And you give us the added privilege of completing that dependency by willfully embracing it in belief and submission, giving you all that we had been holding back, including our future.
Praise be to you for working in the heart of each one whom you know will believe, bringing the wise and persistent pressure that will lead to the break-through, giving the understanding, the desire to know you, to live for you, to walk in the light, to bring you glory. What a high calling you give us, what a privileged position, what an existence of ongoing, ever growing joy you offer.
You give us the exact opposite of what we deserve, at great cost to yourself and at great profit to us, your thankless enemies. You are a marvel, a mystery: majestic and mighty in your provision of rich, unending agape love. Such Truth leads us to wholeheartedly and joyfully bow before you and shout, “Glory!”
“but [you] bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”
[This you also do in your love: you humble those who live in the darkness of self-delusion, thinking they are good enough to get to heaven, thinking they are better than those around them.
Lord, how easily I get caught up in that same sin, thinking negative, critical thoughts of others, comparing myself to them rather than you.The truth is that the negative I see in them is also potential in me, if not actual; I could easily do the same things I proudly condemn in them. I blithely underestimate the evil of my old nature.
Yes, Lord, keep us in the light of your revelation and bring us quickly low when we are proud so that we may immediately repent and be raised up to living in the luster of your love rather than the darkness of our deception.
Praise be to you, for your gracious and patient, continual and deep working in us to bring transformation in our mind, will and emotions so that we might walk on ever higher levels with you. Keep our spirits open to your conviction, direction and protection, remembering that “You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”
