But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6 NKJV
What does it mean to be proud? It simply means having or displaying excessive self-esteem. Every proud person is a taker of unnecessary glory. God never created us to become glory-bearers, but for us to be and remain covered by His glory. When He freshly made Adam and Eve, they were both naked but felt no shame because His glory covered them wholly.
Unfortunately, they fell through sin and immediately got stripped off this glory, making them recognize that they were naked. It was then they had to find some leaves to cover themselves. Because of their submission to the devil, they lost their lives.
In the same way, proud people are parading on streets daily, displaying their open dishonour and irreverence unto God. They’re stripped off God’s glory upon their lives, yet the devil has blinded them so much that they can’t see their awful state.
Any proud person (one who doesn’t recognize Jesus as Lord in all things) is insecure because he is naked, just as Adam and Eve were when they fell. Some unbelievers are proud (those who resist the gospel completely). There are also proud Christians (those who’ve made Jesus Lord over some aspect of their lives, leaving others to themselves).
For the proud unbelievers, it takes God to use the gospel to humble them. But for proud Christians, God resists them to teach them that they cannot live without Him.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. How do you know you’re humble? – It’s when you’re living in submission to the Word of God and allowing it to be the light of your path. God is too big to be ignored. If you’re humble, God will grace you with more ideas, knowledge, understanding to lift you to high places. Choose to humble yourself before God before He humbles you.
You’re a blessing.
Devotional Code: KGD // 2022 – 095