“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Summary: Peter explains why it is important for us to submit to our elders and clothe ourselves with humility. Doing so keeps us on God’s good side and in His good favor.
What kind of God do you believe in? Is your God a distant God? Does he live far away in a place where he cannot reach you? Is he waiting to meet you when you cross over at the point of death? Or, is your God here with you right now?
Over the course of my life, I have traveled a journey from one God to the other. Raised in a small traditional protestant church, we went to worship God once a week on Sunday. When we left the church building, or “God’s House” as it was called, it seemed like we headed out on our own, leaving God behind.
Over the years, I have bumped around, sometimes focused on God and other times more on me. When I finally came back to church after a long time away, it was like going back to childhood. Go to church to “see” God. Come home to live while God stays in his house. But then something amazing happened.
I started reading the Bible.
Every year I would read through the Bible at least once. Almost every day I would be in God’s Word. After about the sixth time through the Bible, another amazing thing happened: It started making sense.
When I say it started to make sense, what I mean is I started seeing the Bible as a single book. We talk about the Bible being made-up of sixty-six separate books, but we also talk about God being the author of the Bible. One of those is more true than the other. For me, seeing the Bible as a “whole” instead of parts has made an incredible difference. It is one book. It has only one Author. To say that individual people wrote the books of the Bible is to say that God chose different scribes at different times to write down his words.
The reason that I am sharing this with you today is because of our passage:
”God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
After years of walking with God and being in his Word almost daily, I began to see things in a new way. Instead of seeing God waiting for me in a church building, I began to see God walking with me every day. Instead of living in a world where things just “happened,” I transitioned into a world where everything is related to God.
This didn’t happen overnight. This change happened gradually, like a tree growing. There is a tree in my yard that grew up unwanted and unplanted. It was an upstart of sorts, a volunteer. It was cute when it was little, and now it seemed without effort or work, it is over thirty feet tall. How did that happen? How did I come to see God and his Word through new eyes? They both grew the same way; one day at a time.
Because of this change in how I see things, I see God’s Word through new eyes, too. Instead of old, dusty words about people who lived long ago, the Bible is now a living book. It sings God’s words to me every day. “God opposes the proud” can mean God frowns on such people, or it can mean that God actively obstructs them in this life. In the same way, God showing “favor to the humble” can be a platitude, or it can be a real thing. God actually cares enough to have an impact on our lives for good.
When Peter tells us to submit to our elders and to clothe ourselves with humility, he adds the word “… because.” Because God opposes the proud and shows favor to the humble. There is a real reason for doing this and a very real benefit for submitting to God and choosing to be humble.
Application: Choose to spend time in God’s Word every day. It is one way we submit to God. It shows we are humble and that we desire His favor.
Food for Thought: What is it like to experience the favor of God?
Now I have to read the Bible 6 times for it to make complete sense to me? Also I’ve got a hybrid fir tree that has been planted and has grown about 20 feet in two years. During my short walk I have been constantly seen his favor in me to help me grow in my relationship with Him, understanding of His word, the blessings He has put in my life and the answered prayers.
Tim –
I’m not sure how to break this to you, but …
Reading the Bible through six times is only the start. 🙂 It gets better each time you go through it!
Great devotion again today brother. I loved the analogy. And Tim, I appreciate your comments as well. Every time I read through the Bible I learn more and see more. It is truly like no other “book.”
Experiencing the favor of God is what we all crave. We all desire to hear, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” I think one of the better biblical descriptions is seen in Matthew 25: 31 – 46. This passage also reveals the difference between His favor and His disapproval.
Link added -JE
Thank you, Rich.
God gave me the tree that was the inspiration. 🙂
The passage you referenced is an important text. Thank you!
What is it like to experience the favor of God?
We are like your seed transformed into a tree Jeff.
The moment we believe, we are immediately transformed into new creations with a new existence. We have the ability to live in fellowship, have a relationship with God rather than as enemies, opposed to Him. We begin living our eternal life while on earth. We live in the presence of God who will guide us, direct us and help us each day, to the degree we listen and live according to the new standards and principles we find in His Word.
We are free, no longer slaves to the power of sin, and the destructive power it brings into our lives. 2 Peter 1:3-4. We remain on the earth, subject to earthly hardships, and disappointments. However we have the Holy Spirit to give us strength, God who will limit the trials to only what we can withstand and is our refuge when needed. We have the promises in His Word to comfort and sustain us as we remain on earth to grow and serve only Him.
Eternal life for the believer is the wonderful, endless experience of our inheritance that we submit to Jesus Christ, we are “joint heirs” with Christ who gives each our peace and strength to minister and persevere in this world.
John 5:25, Romans 8:6, Romans 8:10, Ephesians 2:5
Link added – JE
Ron,
Thank you for your words today. Your answer to the question is really good. We are new creatures in Christ. We have been set free. The favor of God is both immediate and eternal.
Love the post, encouragement, admonition, and comments from everyone! Just before getting on to see this I finished watching a sermon from Matt Chandler, called: Examining Roots Renouncing, Rerooting and Asking,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Ugo9d8efs&t=2043s
I am a new tree in Christ Jesus, but I still have the work of allowing God to pull up the roots of my old life. This process has been so painful to me that at times it has had me questioning my salvation. But it’s good to know that it’s all part of the process of putting off the old man, and re-rooting ourselves in Him. Thanks for sharing Jeff, I really appreciate this.
NMOP3PISdn,
Nice to hear from you! Thank you for sharing and for your devotion to our Lord!