Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s not raining this morning…at least not for now…and the sky looked like it was celebrating the chance to shine after so many rainy days. I stepped out onto the front porch to fill my lungs with morning air and I thanked the Living God for good health. I looked up toward the heavens to fill my eyes with the sunrise and I thanked the Living God for eyes to see. I listened to the sound of the birds filling their space with song and I thanked the Living God for ears to hear. I considered a world in turmoil, and I thanked the Living God for what He is about to do and how I fit in. I thought about how I’m missing my family and I thanked the Living God that they are all well. From where I sit there is always room for Gratitude and since I Know that “there is no good thing apart from Him”, there is no room for pride or arrogance in my Life. Everything I am…everything I have is only made possible because of Him. Isn’t that the way you see things too?

It’s amazing how arrogant some of God’s people can be and it’s perplexing that most of the time they don’t even see it. Some are quick to tell the world what they do and don’t deserve as if they deserve more from the world because of who they are…but that’s not true. Some whine and cry about their circumstances as if God has forgotten to provide the rose garden they think they deserve as a Child of God…but He doesn’t promise Easy Street to His people. Some folks are quick to point out the wrongs they see in the lives of other people while overlooking their own as if they’ve been appointed the Judge and Jury just because they Believe. Some could talk for weeks on end about the corrupt political system as if God is a liar and He doesn’t ordain our leaders like He says He does, while others speak like they have some sort of secret source of information that (apparently) God doesn’t even know about. God hates pride, arrogance, and an ungrateful heart. Just look at what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar when he puffed up and took credit for his kingdom. Even though he was warned about what would happen “if” he still strutted around and flaunted “his accomplishments” to show the world how great he was building a shiny kingdom. God ripped the king of everything he had just like He said he would and He sent him off to live like an animal in the wilderness for seven years UNTIL Nebuchadnezzar finally confessed that there IS no good thing apart from God and that God is the source of all blessings. That’s what Humility looks like.

These days lots of people of Faith find comfort in 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” and for some reason, they’re focused more on the praying part than anything else. YES, we are supposed to pray and BELIEVE what we’re praying…but what about the HUMBLE part and the turn from your wicked ways part? What about the part that acknowledges that THERE IS NO GOOD THING apart from Him? What about that part that continues to give thanks no matter what’s happening in this dark world? What about the part where we Celebrate being born for such a time as this because we Know God has a Plan for us through it all? What about the part where we put our TRUST in the Creator of the Universe instead of hoping someone in office will bail us out of the troubles we’ve created? It takes Humility to take responsibility.

Without humility, prayers are just noise in the heavens. Without humility, we never truly seek His face. Without humility, we don’t turn from our wicked ways. How can we EXPECT Him to “heal our land” if we can’t even Humble ourselves to the One who died for all or Trust Him with the Outcome?

It begins with humility and it ends with arrogance.

Which one are you?