I’ve been pondering an important lesson that recurs time and time again in the Scriptures.
We see it in the life of Moses, an Egyptian prince who chose to identify himself with slaves.
Because humility precedes glory.
We see it in the life of David, a shepherd boy anointed Israel’s second king.
Because humility precedes glory.
We see it in the life of Mary, a humble maiden chosen to mother the Savior of mankind.
Because humility precedes glory.
We see it in the experience of the shepherds, treated to an angelic chorus in the heavenlies.
Because humility precedes glory.
We see it in Jesus. God Himself in the form of a newborn babe, brought into the humblest of this world’s circumstances.
Does it still boggle your mind that the Creator of the universe stepped down from heaven to dwell among us?
He dwelt among our filth.
Our wickedness.
Our disease.
Our poverty.
Our heartaches.
Our hatred.
He volunteered for every last bit of it.
Stunning.
I pray I never get over the wonder of it.
But really, His arrival was, in many ways, less than wonder-full, wasn’t it? A ho-hum census. A crude manger. A group of shepherds.
And yet...
Can you hear it? Choirs of angels heralding His birth offer a glimpse of the glory to come.
He was fully God; yet He didn’t consider his Godhood something to be clung to. Instead, He emptied Himself of His right to be exalted and took on the form of a servant. Mere flesh and blood. As if that weren’t enough, He humbled Himself even further, yielding even to a cruel and undeserved death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
And yet…
Can you see it? An empty tomb displaying His power offers a glimpse of the glory to come.
Was it worth it?
Worth the temptations?
Worth the ridicule?
Worth the criticism?
Worth the accusations?
Worth the pain?
Worth the emptying of Himself and becoming nothing?
Absolutely.
Because the cross wasn’t the end of the story.
The empty tomb wasn’t even the end of the story.
“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-10)
Jesus’ example and a host of others throughout the Bible prove an important truth that makes a difference for you and me traveling through the same sin-broken, sorrow-bloated planet they did.
Humility precedes glory.
God delights in taking the ordinary…
the plain…
the un-fancy and unremarkable…
and fashioning it into something glorious.
And that means there’s hope for me yet.
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What a blessed start to my day, to read this post. Thank you, Jennifer. Glory to God!
I’m glad this blessed you, Amy. Praising Him with you!
Nice!
Thank you! 🙂
BeAutiful post and gives a new meaning to what humility is all about!!! Thank you Jennifer
Thank you for reading, Vicki!
I found your blog through your comment on another blog! I’m glad I found it it’s so encouraging and spot on!
sorry I hit send too soon =) I am excited to follow your blog! if you want to check mine out it’s http://www.filledwithgrace.org
Jennifer,
I enjoy your lyric-like thought provoking lines and questions. Thanks for putting together these accounts. Grateful you reminded me of the wonder. 🙂
Hi, Joanne! Thanks so much for your kind words. It touches your heart that you were blessed by this post. I’m so very grateful for a God who takes very ordinary people and uses them to accomplish extraordinary things. May He be glorified!
I absolutely love this post, Jennifer! I’m so humbled by it. You’ve communicated very clearly the purpose of humility and displaying God’s glory and I simply am struck with awe at it. Thank you so much for sharing (and linking it to Grace & Truth)!
Hi, Holly! Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your encouragement. I love that pretty much every single aspect of Jesus’ life screamed “humility”…though He’s more deserving of glory than all the rest of us combined. Humility is something I still have to “talk myself into” all too often — I long for the day that it’s my first response and not my coached one. Until then, I press on, so grateful for His mercy on my many weaknesses.
A wonderful devotional, Jennifer. You made scripture collide with real life. May your post bless many hearts.
What a precious thing it is when the Holy Spirit makes direct application with God’s Word into our lives, isn’t it? I’m so grateful for the Word of God that is living and powerful! May we all seek to flesh it out each day. Thanks so much for your kindness, Milly!