THE HUMBLE HEART

“HE GUIDES the HUMBLE in what is right and teaches them his way” – Psalm 25:9 (NIV)

God delights in and gives guidance and direction to the HUMBLE HEART: “HE GUIDES the HUMBLE in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psa.25:9 NIV). Psalm 25 is a humble plea for help and wisdom. It teaches us to seek God at all times, especially in the hard times, irrespective of the reason we are in those hard times. David prayed: “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (vv.4-5). Then, he pinpointed the humble-hearted as the specific recipient of divine instruction (v.9).

David was passing through a trying period in which treacherous enemies sought to exult in his demise (vv.2-3). These foes who were many in number, hated David with viciousness (v.19). They had in fact gained the advantage over him, because he described his feet as already caught in their net (v.15). He felt lonely and afflicted as his troubles grew worse (vv.16-17). But in the midst of this mess, David humbly and earnestly requested for the God of his salvation to show him His ways, teach him His paths, and lead him in His truth. He went on to reveal the secret of divine direction into Perpetual Prosperity: “Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth” (vv.12-13).  

Humility leads and accompanies a person in the right direction, whereas pride sends a person the wrong way. Humility exalts, while pride demotes and destroys. Humility leads to the riches of God’s Grace, but pride is a deceptive guide that leads to death. Ultimately, humility sets a heart on course with Christ to heaven while pride blinds people to eventually make their way to hell with the devil. A humble person desires God’s Way to be his or her way. As we are willing to listen and learn from His Word and by the instruction of the Holy Spirit, the Lord unveils His way. We are wise not to trust ourselves, but to totally trust God’s divine guidance.

God wants our faith to remain humble and childlike: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Mt.11:25). A humble heart is not childish, but childlike in its total trust in Christ. We must never become so wise in our own eyes that we have no need for the help of God and God-sent helpers of destiny. An isolated faith is set up for failure, but a faith engaged in communion with the Holy Spirit and community with other Jesus followers is set up for temporal and eternal fulfilment.

God wants us to know His will and to make the best decisions according to His plan. But He will not force us to come to Him for guidance. If we want to do things our own way, most of the time He will let us, and then we’ll learn the hard way that His ways are the best. To not humble ourselves is to allow circumstances to humble or even humiliate us! Why would we choose the harder road? Why not humble ourselves before God and admit that we need His guidance, rather than trying it our own way and failing? We are better off asking the Lord to guide our steps rather than to correct avoidable errors: “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1Pet.5:5b-6).

As we humble ourselves before God, He'll guide us in what is right. Like a compass in the wilderness, God directs the humble heart aright, along the paths of mercy and truth, and toward the wise way in which there is no distress, defeat, or destruction.