1 Peter 5:6 – "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"

There are circumstances and seasons of your life that will cause you to focus more on yourself. Whether it is a difficult family situation or job stress, it is so easy to get caught up in feelings and emotions. I am not saying that feelings and emotions are bad, but when we allow those things to dictate how we react, they can cause more harm than good. I mention this verse in 1 Peter 5:6 because it is a verse that should cause us to act. There are three very important parts of the verse that I want to highlight. There is a call of humility, there is a call of trust, and there is the reward of elevation.

The call of humility is found in the first part of 1 Peter 5:6 where it states, "Humble yourselves therefore." Before we can trust God as our master, we must first become servants. A servant is a person who performs duties for God. Humility is an attribute of servitude. The reason why we allow our feelings and emotions to dictate how we react is because we do not allow ourselves to become servants to God but instead we become servants to these temporary reactions. God wants people who are captivated by Him, not held captive.

The call to trust is found in the second part of 1 Peter 5:6 where it states, "Under the mighty hand of God." Trust is confidence; it is a firm belief in the reliability, trust, ability, and strength of God. When it says, "under the mighty hand of God," we are being called to trust in the God who is above all. Every time I see this part of the verse I can just imagine looking up at a giant hand. That giant hand is God's and as that hand moves, we move. Just as in life when God moves or tells us to move, we are as servants supposed to move with Him.

Lastly, the reward of elevation is found in the last part of 1 Peter 5:6 which states "that he may exalt you in due time." As we obey, God rewards. Because God operates in order, this verse is all about how to treat our lifestyle with Christ. When we go our own way or allow our emotions and feelings to dictate our way, we began to operate out of His divine order. When we follow the hand of God, we become people who are exalted over our circumstances, our feelings and our emotions. The things that held us captive, no longer have that power.

I want to encourage you today sons and daughters to humble yourself, trust God and let Him exalt you. This process is only hard because we make it hard. It is about a willingness to go outside of who we are and fall into who God is.