HUMILITY by M. Wood

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 11, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 19.

HUMILITY

By M. Wood

If any people should be filled with this heavenly grace it is that people who are looking for the speedy coming of the Lord—that people whom God has condescended to visit, reprove, rebuke, and lead by the influence of his Holy Spirit into the light of the third angel’s message. “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8. “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5.

Says our Saviour, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matt. 11:29. How much we have to humble us, and keep us low before the Lord, if we look to the rock whence we were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence we were digged; if we look back on the days of our unregeneracy spent in sin and folly, and reflect on our ingratitude, inactivity, and numerous imperfections manifested since the Lord has called us by his grace. Let us look to Gethsemane and to Calvary, and feel humbled as we consider ourselves the cause of the Redeemer’s agonies and bitter death. Or if we look forward to the triumphant march into the city of the great King, with God’s seal in our foreheads, palms in our hands, and crowns upon our heads, eternal salvation granted or provided by free grace for such poor, vile, and unworthy creatures, let this be cause for humility.

Each and every one of these views is enough to lay us in the dust before the Lord. We ought to be humble, for God is humble. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly. Humility is a characteristic of saints. Ps. 34:2. The humble are heard of God; Ps. 9:12; 10:17; they enjoy the presence of God; Isa. 57:15; they are delivered by God; Job 22:29; they are lifted up by God; James 4:10; they are exalted by God; Luke 14:11; 18:14. Paul in his epistle to the Colossians, says, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,” &c. Col. 3:12–14. And Peter adds, “Be clothed with humility.” 1 Pet. 5:5. The doctrines of the Bible are humbling; for they make man nothing, and Jesus all in all. Grace is naturally humbling, so that if we have much grace we shall have great humility. God loves humility. Saints admire humility. Heaven is the home of humility, and solid happiness springs from humility.

Dear reader, let us encourage humbling views of ourselves; and while we walk humbly with God, let us wear the garment of humility before our fellow-men, and ever bear in mind the words of the great apostle, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Phil. 2:3; Gal. 5:26; Jas. 3:14. M. Wood.