The holidays are over and it is time for me to get back on track and give one last push to finish 1 Peter. Today I will be looking at 1 Peter 5:5-7.
I will begin with the result of my verse mapping and then I will present my impressions using the TEND method.
December 27, 2024 (verse mapping)
Prayer:
Psalm 142:1-2
1 I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
before Him I tell my trouble.
Verse: 1 Peter 5:5-7
5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble."
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all you anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Outcome:
There are several layers of humility talked about in verses 5-6. The first is the humility of the younger to the older. This is the respect we give our elders when we listen to them and treat them with respect.
Then there is the humility between Christians. None of us is better than anyone else. We are all equal in God's eyes. Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." We are to serve each other humbly, lifting each other up.
Finally, there is our humility before God. This sounds so easy, but in reality it is hard to achieve and easy to mess up.. How often do we demand that God do things for us instead of taking on the role of servant and doing his will?
Humility equals service. The younger serve the older. Christians serve others. Christians serve God.
Verse 7 is a verse of comfort when anxiety runs wild. We are to give our worries and troubles to God. God cares about us and takes care of us. We can be sure that He will do what is best for us.
January 3, 2025 - Just an extra note. Verse 5 says that God "gives grace to the humble," and verse 6 says that He will "life you up in due time." At times, being humble results in someone trying to lord something over you when humility is misunderstood. We do not need to try to make ourselves look important or try to raise ourselves up. God promises to show us grace and to lift us up. When a life of being humble seems hard to handle, we only need to look to God and know that by following Him, we are building up a treasure in Heaven and one day He will take us there.
December 28, 2024
1 Peter 5:5-7
Take Time to Pray
Psalm 143:1-2
1 O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in Your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before You.
Examine: 1 Peter 5:5-7
5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble."
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all you anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Notice
What do you notice about God's character?
God is against the proud.
God will lift up the humble.
God cares for us.
What lessons are being taught? Is there a sin, promise, action, command, or example being taught? Is there a warning being given?
I am reminded of Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus tells the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee, praying in the temple. The tax collector was humble and begged for mercy. The Pharisee bragged about how great he was. In the end, Jesus said of the tax collector in verse 14, "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Our attitude should be like that of the tax collector. We must acknowledge our sinfulness and rest in the promise of God's mercy through Jesus.
Our humility cannot be on the outside only. It must go all the way to the bottom of our soul, cleansing us of pride.
Our humility is not a check-mark on a to-do list. Our humility comes from the recognition that we serve a mighty and awesome God. We bend to His Will in gratitude and obedience. God is our ultimate "elder."
Our attitude of humility toward God should spill over into our lives. We are humble before our elders and give them honor. We are humble to others in general, serving as Jesus taught us to serve.
When anxiety, stress, and fear plague us, we need to take this to the foot of the cross and leave it there. God can take it away and He will because He loves us. Every problem is placed in God's hands and He will solve it for us, in the best possible way.
Do
Consider how you need to respond to what God is teaching you.
Question:
What does/should humility look like in my life?
Response:
Worship and service to God.
Obedience to God's Word.
Service to family, friends and others who I come in contact with.
Giving credit to God and not myself.
Daily confession of sins
Acceptance of what God asks me to do.
Contentment with what God has blessed me with.
Gratitude for God's goodness and mercy and all that He does.
Working without grumbling.
Question:
What is one specific thing I can do to be humble today?
Response:
Put away laundry without grumbling and with a grateful heart. (Gratitude that I have laundry to put away and that I am able to put it away.)
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