That evening, my husband
was teaching about humbling under the mighty hand of God. Immediately I knew
where the dream tied to and released it to the people.
In James 4:10, it says “Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Many
Christian believers and ministers who want success will surely meditate on this
verse. But have you ever asked, what is ‘humbling before God’, and ‘how humble
is being humble enough’?
No believer of Christ will
out-rightly deny the sovereignty of God. However, to think and walk the talk is
another thing altogether. Now, I’m not talking about your salvation grace.
By the perfect work of Jesus on the cross, you who have believed and confessed
Christ in your life are saved indeed (see Romans 10:9-10). I’m talking about
you the favored ones of God, who are able to receive His guidance to succeed
when you are still on this earthly realm. Humble before God, surrender the
‘turkey’ and the ‘horse’ of your life to Him and you are on the way to promotion.
Only the promotion and blessing from the hand of God adds no sorrow with it (see
Proverbs 10:22).
a) The ‘turkey’
The Lord
gave me the understanding that turkey is always served on the dining table
during big festivals for ages as a tradition. He’s not saying that from now on
‘thou shall have no turkey for thy Thanksgiving or Christmas’. But the Lord
wants you to get rid of the traditions you held to, that have been hindering
His new move in your life.
Tradition
can be the customs you have been practicing for generations, or beliefs made
sacred that are not derived from the Bible, or a set of rules and laws that
give you your identity as a group, or even methods and approaches that had
helped you to succeed in the past.
Holding
on to traditions will make you judge others (James 4:11-12). It makes you
‘distinct’ yourself from other brethren in Christ. It makes you proud.
When you
are proud of what you already have, you are not receptive of God’s new moves
that will bring new and greater success. You confine yourself in a set of old
rules and methods. But do you know that Jesus had never put the same mud on the
eyes of the blinds. He always did new things.
b) The ‘horse’
As timely
as it was, the Lord brought my attention to Psalm 20:7-8 as my daughter was
reading her ‘Day-by-Day’ Children’s Bible on Psalm 20 before her bed time.
Horses
were the main transport used for traveling, carriage of goods and fighting in
war in the old times. It was the ‘infrastructure system’. Unfortunately, horses
can accidentally break their legs and be lame.
The Lord
is speaking about your trust in the worldly system today. There is nothing
wrong about your work in the secular world or your investments in banks and
properties. I’m not encouraging laziness or passiveness in handling your
finance. God loves to bless diligent people (Proverbs 10:4). But if you have
put your trust on your pay checks from the organization you work in (be it
secular companies or Christian ministries) or on your investments for future
security, more than your trust on God, you are boasting about your tomorrow’s
success (James 4:13-16). Again, you are being proud. Friendship with the world
is enmity with God (James 4:4).
When the
world economy system collapsed some years ago, many believers who had trusted
in the worldly system found themselves in the same devastating state
financially with the non-believers. It is a wake-up call for many. If you put
your trust only on God, He’ll give you the ways to overcome and excel even in
the worst economy situation. Like the Psalm
20:6-8 written in the Children’s Bible, “God answers His people from heaven. He saves them with His great
power. Some people trust in horses. Some people trust in chariots. Those people
will fall someday. But we trust in God. We will always stand strong.”
Allow the Lord to set you
free from confining traditions. Choose to rely on God's Spirit instead on the
worldly system though you are generating finance from it. The worldly system is
supposed to serve you who are the heirs of the Almighty God (see Romans 8:17a).
The only thing left to do
now is to draw near to God and He will draw near to you (see James 4:8). Be
settled in your heart that you want to trust Him and follow His ways alone.
Choose to seek Him earnestly at all times. Expect God to speak and do new
things in your life. Know that your Father God loves to speak to you. Learn to
act according to His instructions, with faith and obedience.
Don't be afraid to fail Him
though. Rise up and know that He always love you and His grace is always
sufficient for you (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). As long as you are willing to
humble before the Lord, be assured that He will give you the new revelations
and new opportunities to succeed in this world.