James 4:6 ‘But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’

DAILY READING – John 1:19-34; 1 Chronicles 7-8; Zephaniah 3

During the time of the American slave trade, the Slave masters used various forms of discipline and punishment to break the spirit of the slaves. Because many of the slaves were of African descent and proud of their heritage, it became difficult for slave masters to bring them to the point of total submission. To achieve the breaking of the spirit of these slaves, a number of methods were employed by the slave masters. Whipping became the main form of corporal punishment on most plantations. Also imprisonment and the withholding of such necessities as food and clothing were used to control slaves. In severe cases, slave collars, made of iron, which had three prongs that helped intensify the grip and pain, were put on the neck of slaves to especially deter them from fleeing. Also slaves were branded with hot iron, which imprinted the names of their masters on their skin. All these methods were used by Slave masters as a way of managing slave behavior and to ensure maximum production as well as cooperation among the slaves.

A definitive description of slaves is that they are owned by their masters. And Paul says to believers clearly in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “You are not your own. You have been bought with a price.” Indeed we have been bought with the price of the precious blood of Jesus. And if we have been bought with a price, then we belong to the One who has paid that price. However, though we belong to God, He does not have to subject us to harrowing conditions to make us submissive. Rather, He draws us close through love. Through sacrificing His life, Christ proved His love for  us. And in return, we prove our love for Him, by willingly obeying Him.

Jesus said in John 14:15 ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’

As believers, our lives are marked by our total obedience and singular devotion to our master. Exclusive ownership implies complete submission. Therefore, we are not the masters of our own destiny nor the captains of our souls. The apostles often referred to themselves as slaves of Christ. In the book of Philippians Paul identifies himself and Timothy as slaves of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1). Now, most of the English versions have “servants” or “bond-servants” there, but the Greek word is ‘doulos,’. Which is properly rendered “slave.” The term is used at least forty times in the New Testament to refer to the believer, and the Hebrew equivalent is used over 250 times to refer to believers in the Old Testament.

Indeed we cannot truly say we love God unless we are completely submitted to him. And we cannot be completely submitted except we are broken. Indeed we are in an unprecedented season of seeing the glory of God revealed like never before. But that glory has its root in grace. And grace is released by God only to the humble and broken. James 4:6 says: ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble’.

Let us therefore continually humble, ourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt us in due season.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your commitment to unveil Your glory in my life this year. Please grant me the grace to always humble myself under Your mighty hand so that You will exalt me in due season in Jesus Name.

Quote :

The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you – WORDBITE 222.