God’s Blessings on the Lowly

Background Scripture: Judges 6-7
Lesson Scripture: Judges 6:1, 6, 11-21

Introduction

If thou wouldst have the dear Saviour from heaven

Walk by thy side from the morn till the even,

There is a rule that each day you must follow,

Humble thyself to walk with God. 1

As we follow this simple instruction, we find the door opened to the daily grace we need. The blessings God bestows on the lowly are many. Included are communion with God, fellowship with believers, forgiveness from those trespassed against, love from friends, peace of mind, and grace to accept undesirable circumstances. Pride brings discontent, destroys friendships, blocks forgiveness, causes contention, and separates us from God.

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).

Key Verse

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength (Isa. 40:29).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Great leaders are often praised for their virtues, and we may wish to be like them. However, when God came to Gideon, he was not aspiring to greatness. He was grieved for the deplorable state of Israel and was filling his responsibilities in a quiet, even concealed, way. Often when heroes are asked to explain their actions, they speak of seeing what needed to be done and doing it. Let us be like Gideon and quietly act upon the needs before us. Let us not fear to get involved or gossip about the need while insinuating that we are free from reproach. Let us not despair that the problem is too large, remembering that “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26) and that maybe we have “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Est. 4:14). Let us not act upon our own ambition but let God work in and through us. With resignation we can prepare for the work as we pray, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Gideon’s first task was not battling the Midianites—the first battle was to deal with idolatry in Israel. When the angel spoke to him, he responded by bringing an offering of meat and unleavened bread. He then built an altar to God and began removing an idolatrous altar and grove the same night. It may take greater courage to deal with ourselves and our own weakness than it does to minister to the needs of others. If we seek to help someone but are unwilling to face our own need, we are hypocritical. Victory begins when we humbly face ourselves, and for this we need the anointing of God’s eye salve (Rev. 3:18). When we reach out to restore someone who has fallen, it is important to feel their pain as though we are the one who has failed (Gal. 6:1).

God brought Gideon through several tests and purges before the victorious battle. Ultimately, Gideon was directed to face the Midianites with three hundred men. In the absence of large numbers, God brought deliverance. This story resonates with us today because Gideon needed to place all his confidence in God. We watch with disappointment when people egotistically try to achieve their goals.

Practical Truths for Today

When Satan came to Adam and Eve in the garden, he showed them the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told them that they would become as gods, knowing good and evil. They yielded to him and tasted the bitter fruit of pride. They became estranged from God, were driven from the beautiful, fruitful garden, made subject to sorrow and hardship, and cursed to die. Only a Redeemer could reverse the downward spiral they had chosen. Only the cleansing blood of the sacrificed Lamb of God could restore mankind to true humility.

Lowliness is a divine virtue. God reveals this virtue to us in many ways. His greatest example is the debut of His Son incarnate as a tiny baby, born in a humble setting. Jesus’s earthly life was one of selflessness and service. He taught the people that “he that is least among you all, the same shall be great” (Luke 9:48). One cannot emulate Jesus without lowliness.

We may recognize pride as sin and strive to be free from its effects, but true humility is a fruit of the new birth. We can display an appearance of humility, but without regeneration and the work of the Holy Spirit, our effort will be ineffectual and rooted in pride. Pride is the default of our depraved nature. Perhaps we can compare pride to lowliness like “empty” compares to “full.” A jar is not empty because it has been filled with emptiness; it is empty because it has not been filled with something. A proud heart has a vacuum that can only be filled when we surrender to God. When we ask God to show us our need and He reveals an ugly area of pride, let us intreat Him to fill that void with His divine presence.

Jesus told His disciples, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). Can we quickly ask forgiveness when we say something that might have hurt someone? Is it difficult to accept criticism? Asking for help or accepting advice can open doors, relieve stress, and build confidence. When a humble person is praised, his quiet, thankful response is appreciated by the one giving the compliment and by those observing. When others seem to get the advantages in life, humility teaches us to rejoice in their accomplishments. In fact, the lowly person desires that others would prosper. When people suffer a setback or loss, it is much easier to help them if they are humble. Those in need find it is much easier to accept help when those coming to help humbly empathize with them.

We experience God’s blessings on the lowly as we walk in His way. Jesus commended those on the right-hand side in Matthew 25:31-40. They had been faithfully serving their Master, and their lives had affected those who were called “the least of these my brethren.” May we be found among the faithful when the Lord returns.

Questions

1. Will we spend time thinking about ourselves if we are humble?
2. When is the excuse “I don’t like to talk about myself” a lack of transparency?
3. When we confess our struggle with pride, would it be more revealing to say that we have not been humble?
4. 1 Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1926), “Humble Thyself to Walk with God”
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).