Day Four James 4:6-10
6 “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proudbut gives grace to the humble.’ 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” – James 4:6-10 (NLT)
Discover
1. What promises go along with each instruction in these verses?
2. Twice in these verses, who does James say we are to humble ourselves before?
3. What do you think it means for God to “lift you up in honor”?
Respond
Christ-like humility is not something we have to muster up on our own. Instead, it's a natural response to coming near a majestic and infinitely holy God, to drawing close to Him, and recognizing His greatness and our own lack of greatness in comparison. At the same time, don’t miss the promises that follow true repentance – generous grace! God coming close to us and lifting us up! Spend some time now doing just what these verses say. Come close to God. Experience sadness and grief for any sins and tell Him you’re sorry. And then experience God coming close to you and lifting you up in His infinite love and grace that He freely gives. Walk in that humility today.
For Further Reading: How Do I Humble Myself?
For Families with Kids at Home
Today, think of a way that you can help your kids to have a healthy view of themselves. Pray that they would always make their identity in Jesus a priority at each stage of their life.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.