The Product of Humility

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

An old technique popular with some horse trainers is called “hobbling”. To hobble a horse is to tie the front and back legs together with enough rope to allow him to walk, but restricts him from running and kicking. A horse that is apt to run wild is just not very useful. When his movement is restricted, the horse recognizes that someone else is in control. He is introduced to superior authority. A horse that is frequently hobbled begins to get the idea that he must respond to the desires of his master and not his own. In this way, the hobbled horse becomes humbled. And a humble horse is a useful horse.
Some of my most painful experiences in life have been humbling ones. These are times when I have felt humiliated. But I have found that God is not as concerned with my feelings as much as my character. So at times when I needed to learn how to become more like Him, I was humbled, so I would be more responsive to God’s leadership. God will humble us when He wants to use us. He cannot use prideful human beings. We are too prone to go our own way when left to our own direction.
When we learn that God is the Master and He is in the lead, we can humble ourselves before Him. We glorify God when we come to Him in humility and ask direction. When we seek His face and His will, He is glorified. It is then that He is indeed Lord of our lives. Our passage today tells us that God loves us enough to humble us. Humility is a prerequisite to learning.

I. THE LORD LEADS US TO HUMBLE US. It is God’s intention to lead us to a place where we recognize that we are not in control. God may lead us into places of helplessness so we are ready to follow Him. God will place us in the lifeless desert to create a thirst for His living water.

II. HUMILITY IS A PRELUDE TO A TEST. When we find ourselves humbled by God, we should expect to be tested. Since God is the Teacher, we should know that any learning must be subjected to evaluation. Life’s tests are the laboratory that proves God’s principles for living are true and relevant.

III. HUMILITY TEACHES US THAT OUR LIVES ARE DEPENDENT UPON CONTACT WITH THE SUPERNATURAL. Our faith in God grows when we see Him break into our world. When we learn that we are truly helpless without Him, we can come to him as a dependent child, waiting on His command, leaning on His shoulder, and learning of His love. Are you in need of being humbled today? To humble yourself before God is honorable.
THE PRODUCT OF HUMILITY IS AN OPEN HEART BEFORE GOD.