Humble or Blessed?

Are you humble?  Are you blessed? Can you be both?

The bible has many verses about being humble, but it has just as many (or more, I really didn’t count) about being blessed.  I use to think that being humble meant being poor and in fact some bibles are translated this way. But then being poor didn’t seem too much like being blessed to me so how could I be poor and be blessed?

Psalm 147:6 - The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 149:4 - For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

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

Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

James 4:6 - But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:10 - Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

 

I began to study the original Greek work for humble and humility and this is what I read: For the believer, tapeinophrosýnē ("humility") means living in complete dependence on the Lord, i.e. with no reliance on self (the flesh).

Now if you go back and reread these verses changing humble to living in complete dependence on the Lord, does it put them in a different light?  It did for me.

Psalm 147:6 - The LORD sustains those who live in complete dependence on Him (the humble) but casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 149:4 - For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns those who live in complete dependence on Him (the humble) with salvation.

Matthew 18:4 - Therefore, whoever lives in complete dependence on the Lord (humbles himself) like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely living in dependence on the Lord (humble) and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

James 4:6 - But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to those who live in complete dependence on the Lord (the humble)."

James 4:10 – Live in complete dependence on the Lord (Humble yourselves) before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and live in complete dependence on the Lord (humble).

1 Peter 5:6 - live in complete dependence on the Lord (Humble yourselves), therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Many times the bible refers to humility verses pride because they are the opposite of each other.   Whereas humility is living in complete dependence of the Lord, pride is relying on one’s self and having no faith in the Lord.  When we walk in fear, then we are walking in pride because we are not being humble.   When we are humble (putting our faith in God) then God says that we are blessed

Jeremiah 17:7 - "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

Psalm 34:8 - O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 40:4 - Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

Matthew 5:5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

Live in completely dependence on the Lord and God promises that you will be blessed

Humble = Faith = Blessed

 

More updates about our time in Uganda and South Sudan will be coming soon