Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Many of you make coming to Me and pleasing Me very complicated. It is not complicated, it is a matter of agreement. True agreement with Me, or anyone for that matter, results in keeping the Word you agree with, which is defined as obedience.
If two are not in agreement they cannot walk together, one is resisting the other, the one will not follow the other but goes his or her own way. The proud resist Me because they are not in agreement with Me and thus cannot obey from their hearts. They resist My Word, holding their own opinion higher than Mine. They are criticizing Me, believing they know how to run things better than I do. Every time you hold yourself above My Words, that is pride.
Those who are humble know that My thoughts, Words, and ways are higher than yours and thus they find their wisdom and reward in keeping My commands. When you are willing and obey you have the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel your own words will condemn and destroy you. Why? The world and all in it were made by My Word and work in obedience to and are sustained by My Word of power. Without My Word they shake and fall.
Going contrary to My Word violates all creation and creation itself will ultimately resist and fight against you, and that includes the health of your body, your very flesh and bone. Once Adam had disobeyed My Word, working with the land became toil and it yielded thorns and thistles instead of only fruits, green plants, and flowers, which it had not done before but responded to Adam’s every command. Recall I told the Israelites that if they did not go in and subdue the enemy and take the promised land that the land itself would vomit out its inhabitants for the perverted practices, especially sexual immorality and the sacrifice of their children to idols, that the people were committing.
“All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled. So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now. . . So obey My instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 18:27-30.
So how do you come to Me? With humility, which is shown by obedience to My Words.
With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love lovingkindness (chesed), and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:6-8.
Adam had no humility, thus he did not honor My Word by obeying it. And he blamed Me for his disobedience. That also is pride. The humble repent when they do wrong. Pride will never admit it has done wrong. I tempt no man.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:13-15.
Humility, which results in obedience to the one who is higher than you in wisdom, allows you to tap into My wisdom and thus make your life successful. Thinking that anything you ingest that is contrary to My Word and circumvents Me can give you wisdom superior to your creator is pride. People who tap into human doctrines and philosophies that purport to give you wisdom above My Word and results of that which only My Word can give you without Me or My Word are at the height of rebellion and pride. It is difficult to save people who have gone that far for they have opted to live entirely according to the flesh, which brings death because your flesh is perishable, and not according to the spirit, which brings life and peace, because the spirit is eternal. This is 666. All man and no God. I conceive you all on the sixth day and thus it is the number that identifies man. That which is of flesh cannot inherit My Kingdom.
Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50.
What does obedience look like? It looks like Jesus. So let us study Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus, My Word, the author and finisher of your faith.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11.
Humble people are not selfish, that is, centered only on their wants and desires to the detriment of others. Proud people just do not care what happens to others as long as they get what they want. A proud persons tries to control others and make them serve their needs first. Jesus was not like that.
“And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44-45.
Jesus is one God with Me. But when He took flesh to come to pay your judgment and satisfy your sentence He had to do it as man, your kinsman redeemer, so He emptied Himself of His divine power and make Himself My servant and your servant. He was rejected, despised, and unjustly condemned for what He had actually done, but the death He subjected Himself to He did as a sinner for though He never sinned He humbled Himself to receive all your sins into His flesh, He actually became sin for you, 2 Corinthians 5:21, in obedience to My desire to remove sin from you by justly satisfying the legal obligation upon you as Adam’s descendants.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14.
But all this said the bottom line is for you to come and live your life in Me in Christ and let My Holy Spirit lead you on level ground as your good Shepherd takes you to drink of the life-giving water flowing to you from My throne. With Me is the fountain of life and in My light you see light. I rescued you from the power of darkness and translated you to the Kingdom of My Beloved Son, who is meek and humble of heart. Learn from Him, take His yoke on your shoulders so He can pull the load of life in this world each day with you for that will make your burden light. The proud carry heavy burdens and are trying to shoulder them all on their own but if you will just humble yourselves under My mighty hand I can exalt you in due season.
Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:3-7.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. Sacrifice you decide what to do on your own and get proud about all you are doing for Me and all you are “giving up.” But simply obeying My Word is the best choice and keeps you grounded in humility, for it is impossible for a proud person to live a life of obedience because then you must be of service to others and you must submit to My way of doing things, especially forgiving.
I love you. Agree with Me and follow My Word with joy and that is walking with Me, and that is the quickest road to humility.