Promises for the Humble

I can't get past this topic! I keep thinking we can move on to another verse or section of the Sermon on the Mount, and then I get sucked back into this word - Humility. Today I want to share with you two things:

The Webster's Dictionary definition of Humble so we know what we're aiming for...

1: not proud or haughty ; not arrogant or assertive

2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission <a humble apology>

3: ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant, unpretentious 

4: not costly or luxurious <a humble contraption>

Examples of the word humble in a sentence:

1. Despite all his achievements, he has remained humble.
2. He is very humble about his achievements.
3. She is too humble to let praise go to her head.
4. Please accept my humble apologies.
5. Her humble suggestion is that we review the data more carefully.
6. He comes from a humble background.
7. She's not ashamed of her humble beginnings.

Other words for Humble: compliant, demure, down-to-earth, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious

What Humble is NOT: arrogant, cocky, conceited, condescending, egotistic, haughty, huffy, immodest, narcissistic, overbearing, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, proud, self-centered, superior, uppity, vain

* * *

Now let's look at promises in God's Word for those who aren't afraid to be humble...

Psalm 10:16-18, "Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more."

Psalm 22:26, "The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!"

Psalm 25:8 - 10, "The LORD is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way. He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees."

Psalm 37:11, "But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity."

Psalm 51:17, " The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart."

Psalm 149:4, "For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation."

Proverbs 3:34, "He mocks those who mock, but gives grace to the humble."

Proverbs 29:23, "A person’s pride will humble him, but a humble spirit will gain honor."

Isaiah 29:19, " The humble will have joy after joy in the LORD, and the poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

Isaiah 66:2, " My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is the LORD’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at My word."

Matthew 18:4, "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 23:12, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

1 Peter 5:5b, 6 & 7, "clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

Tomorrow we'll look at the other side of humility. God has all these promises for the humble, but He also has consequences for the proud. The thing about pride is, anybody can have it, and we often don't even realize we suffer from it. 

Use today's verses to encourage you in your resolve to remain humble - or as incentive to become humble if you are feeling convicted of pride or any of those words up there that are "not" humble.  Remember our first "to do" is to become like Christ, and being humble is part of that project.