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 This article was published in the Women of Destiny Bible (NKJV), which contains articles on various scriptures or themes. Jill was asked to write several articles for this Bible and we pray that these articles bless you and challenge you!
"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.' Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
James 4:6-10
A few years ago I was ministering in the nation of New Zealand and I was given an open-eyed vision that startled me, yet it has left a life-long impression upon my life. I saw an enormous fiery angel full of the glory of the Lord walking up and down the nation. He was brandishing a mighty sword that was beheading those who were standing tall in their own pride, egotism, and self glory. It was an attitude of their heart that the Lord was dealing with through this angel.
Those who were bowed low on their faces in a posture of utter humility were spared, knighted, and promoted. They were the ones God was raising up into a new place of leadership because of their meekness and humility of heart. The Lord was making a profound point about the importance of posturing ourselves in humility.
God requires and honors humility! James 4:10 (NKJV) says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." If you want your life to have significance, then position yourself at the feet of Jesus.
Being a woman in a man’s world is a difficult reality for all of us women. To be a woman in ministry is even more of a delicate tight rope to walk! How do we position ourselves in everyday life and in ministry so we can fulfill our destiny in God? As women, we are in spiritual warfare for our destinies!
The Lord has been giving me revelation about Queen Esther. She was strategically placed in the royal courts as the wife of an ungodly king, amidst the demonic influence of a Hitler-type Haman who wanted to destroy the Jews.
Esther became a Holy Spirit strategist instead of a militant feminist, experiencing the favor of God and man in the palace. She humbled herself in prayer and fasting, which resulted in learning Holy Spirit etiquette, protocol, and diplomacy within the system. She was given keys as an intercessor, which changed the course of her Jewish race by her obedience against life-threatening odds.
As I have ministered in conferences throughout the United States and overseas, I’ve seen many people moving in self-promotion and church politics. I feel it grieves the heart of Jesus. It also challenges our hearts when we are overlooked and others are promoted above us, especially when we see how they do it. The Lord allows these "fires" to work a death in our own hearts – killing our pride and need for position.
There is a price behind the anointing! The years of being overlooked as women is a fiery inferno, but the Lord can use it to work gold in our hearts. The challenge in this life-long journey is to keep our heart soft, humble, and bowed low before Him. Our gifts will make room for us in due season. Do we have love and humility, regardless of what happened to us or have we become disqualified because of bitterness?
The Holy Spirit is training us in humility to rule and reign with Him as His Bride. She must be equally yoked to the Bridegroom; she must wear the same wedding garments He wears. Jesus was adorned in the beauty of meekness. At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, each one of us will have different clothing on, which will be the fruits and rewards of humility and love of our earthly lives.
I feel that another picture of humility is that we are arrayed in many different garments from the wardrobe of the Lord. With His great wisdom, its as though the outer garment that covered each person was a simple burlap robe, a mantle of humility. We must be clothed in humility!
Underneath that robe are the beautiful, colorful royal robes of our giftings and testimony. The Lord displays these at different times, but most of the time it is hidden as a secret testimony between you and the Lord.
Walking in humility is a heart issue, a lifestyle, an attitude that’s God-given. An impartation of humility is different than a decision for humility. We must choose humility and bow our hearts before the Lord as a first step, but it doesn’t produce a heart of humility.
A heart can only be changed by a supernatural impartation of the Lord as He releases His divine touch in response to our yielded hearts. This progressive journey of humility takes years to grow, becoming the very fragrance of Jesus in our hearts.
Beloved, pray for an impartation of humility, that you will be a fragrance to Jesus and to those around you.
Reprinted from the Women of Destiny Bible, © copyright 2000 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. |
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