July 15, 2020; Humility And Surrender Work Hand In Hand To Please God.

James 4:4-5:

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

In the book of James, chapter 4, James reminds us that being friends with the world means that we have enmity with God, or hostility or hate toward God. I know as Christians, we can't hate or have hostility toward God, but if we love the things of this world, that's what we are telling God.

By humbling ourselves, or surrendering, to God, we are acknowledging that we want what God wants for our lives. We are accepting His direction for our lives, accepting the things He gives us or doesn't give us. He knows what is right for us.

Our God is a jealous God. He wants and expects our full surrender to Him, not a partial surrender. Not just certain parts of our lives, but all. Every room in our lives must be surrendered to God. "All of Him and none of me!"

But even our surrendering cannot be done on our own. We must ask God for His grace and mercy. In verse 6 of chapter 4, James says:

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Further in verse 10 of chapter 4:

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up".

And then in the Book of Micah:

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

To walk humbly before God, means to be fully surrendered to God, moment-by-moment, everyday praying for His direction for your life. It all works "hand-in-hand" as we humble ourselves and surrender daily to Him.