The Pilgrim Path---First Peter 5: 6 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.”

HUMBLE YOURSELVES…

“A little will satisfy the humble soul, but nothing will satisfy a proud man’s lusts. The humble says, ‘LORD, give me bread and clothing and you shall be my God. Give me much of Christ and heaven in my heart and food convenient to support my natural life, and it is enough.’ The proud are never content. A crown did not content Ahab, but he must have Naboth’s vineyard. Diogenes was more content with his tub to shelter him and a wooden dish to eat in, than Alexander had with the conquest of half the world and all the treasures, pleasures, and glories of Asia. A humble soul is more content with Daniel’s vegetables than proud princes are with crowns and golden scepters. The humble soul also rejoices in the graces and accomplishments of others, as well as in its own. There is no envy in spiritual things.” THOMAS BROOKS

“True faith is full of self-denial. Faith keeps us low. Paul did not want us to be mistaken---It is Christ that lives in me, I do not live in my own power (Galatians 2: 20). ‘It is Christ that keeps the house. I mortify my corruptions and vanquish my temptations, but I am a debtor to Christ for the strength.’ Blessed Paul acknowledges that God is the sole founder and benefactor of all the good he has and does; ‘I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me.’ Jacob said, ‘these are the children which God has graciously given me.’ All is ex dono Dei---from the gift of GOD. How hesitant are the saints to write about themselves concerning good works or abilities!” WILLIAM GURNALL

“Of his own ministry, in relation to that of the LORD Jesus, John the Baptist declared, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3: 30). Of our lives as believers, something similar has to be said. Pride blows us up like balloons, but grace punctures our conceit and lets the hot, proud air out. The result is that we shrink, and end up seeing ourselves as less---less nice, less able, less wise, less good, less strong, less steady, less committed, less of a piece---than ever we thought we were. We stop kidding ourselves that we are persons of great importance. We settle for being insignificant and dispensable. Off-loading our fantasies of omnicompetence, we start trying to be trustful, obedient, dependent, patient, and willing in our relationship to God. We give up our dreams of being greatly admired for doing wonderfully well. We begin teaching ourselves unemotionally and matter-of-factly to recognize that we are not likely to ever be much of a success by the world’s standards. We bow to events that rub our noses in the reality of our own weaknesses, and we quietly look to God for strength to cope. This is part, at least, of what it means to answer our LORD’S call to childlikeness.” J. I. PACKER

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11: 2

“A very usual way for God to bring down the lofty, whether in church or state, is to allow them to dig a pit, and then to fall therein.” JOHN DUNCAN

HYMN

I need thee, precious Jesus, for I am very poor;

A stranger and a pilgrim, I have no earthly store.

I need the love of Jesus to cheer me on my way,

To guide my doubting footsteps, to be my strength and stay.

Frederick Whitfield, 1855

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason