WONDERS OF GOD’S HUMILITY

"Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” – Psalm 113:5-6

The finite human mind can hardly comprehend Divine Majesty viz-a-vis the WONDERS of GOD’S HUMILITY: “The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who HUMBLES HIMSELF to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?” (Psa.113: 4-6). Here we see God’s Greatness and condescension! Describing God as humble may seem irreverent, even counterintuitive. However, the All-Powerful and Most High triune God displays and elevates humility: “Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar” (Psa.138:6). Rather than try to understand God’s Humility, we should simply praise Him for it, learn from Him, and let His Humility inspire in us that fundamental disposition that ought to characterise the Christian life!

Psalm 113 is like a pure burst of praise! It states: who should worship (v.1); where to worship (v.3); and why to worship (vv.4-9). It begins with a call to “servants of the LORD” to worship Him (v.1). These include all of God’s people. We’re to worship Him “from this time forth and forevermore!” – start right now and keep on going till Eternity (v.2b). It is always right time to praise the Lord. Every of our breath should be a hymn of worship. God’s name should be praised from East to West, from sunrise to sunset, all day long, no matter where we are. If we find ourselves in a place where we cannot praise the Lord, maybe we do not belong there! Also, if we have a problem praising the Lord from sunup to sundown, what would we do for all eternity? The better we know God and experience His Grace in daily life, the more we will praise and worship Him.

We worship God because of who He is (vv.4-6); and what He does (vv.7-9). God is the Great, Mighty, highly lifted God who chose to humble Himself to fulfil His Mission of Redemption. By His possession of this virtue of humility, God’s Grace makes kings out of beggars and joyful mothers out of the barren. He brings the downtrodden up from the pit into the palace. God spoke through Isaiah, the Prophet: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa.57:15); “For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa.66:2).

Jesus epitomised Humility: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt.11:28-30). We are called to this Christ-like intentional self-humbling: to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He HUMBLED HIMSELF and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phi.2:5-8).

As we live and walk in the Love of the Lord by the help of the Holy Spirit, we’ll become more like our Lord. In Humility, we’ll ascend the pedestal to promotion, honour, and divine lifting: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1Pet.5:6-7); “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (Jam.4:10).