Max Lucado, from his book ‘Traveling Light’ shared: (Psalm 23:3 NKJV)
Humility is such an elusive virtue. Once you think you have it, you don’t, or you wouldn’t think you did. You’ve heard the story of the boy who received the “Most Humble” badge and had it taken away because he wore it?
Something similar happened to me just the other morning. I had retreated to a nearby town to work on this book. The village is a perfect hideaway. It is quaint, quiet, and has great food.
I’d gone to a café for breakfast when I noticed that people were staring at me. As I parked two fellows turned and looked in my direction. A woman did a double take as I entered, and several patrons looked up as I passed. When I took my seat the waitress gave me a menu but not before she’d given me a good study.
. . . It was only when I stopped in the restroom that I saw the real reason for the attention—a ribbon of blood on my chin. My patch job on the shaving nick hadn’t worked, and I was left with my own turkey wattle.. . .So much for feeling famous.
Oh, the things God does to keep us humble. He does it for our own good, you know. Would you set a saddle on the back of a five-year-old? Would God let you be saddled with arrogance? No way.
This is one piece of luggage God dislikes . . . .”pride and arrogance” (Prov. 8:13). “The Lord despises pride” (Proverbs 16:5 NLT).
God says, Do nothing out of . . . vain conceit? (Phil. 2:3 NIV). And, do not let arrogance come out of your mouth” (1 Samuel 2:3 NASB). And in the same way he gives grace to the humble, “God opposes the proud” (1 Peter 5:5 NIV)
Ever wonder why churches are powerful in one generation but empty in the next? Perhaps the answer is found in Proverbs 15:25: “The Lord will tear down the house of the proud: (NASB).
. . . God dislikes arrogance because we haven’t done anything to be arrogant about. Do art critics give awards to the canvas? Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools, so they get no credit for the accomplishments.
The message of the Twenty-third Psalm is that we have nothing to be proud about either. . . . —we did nothing to earn any of it. Who did? Who did the work? The answer threads through the psalm like a silk thread through pearls.
“He makes me . . . ”
“He leads me . . .”
“He restores my soul . . . ”
“You are with me . . .”
“Your rod and your staff . . . comfort me . . .”
“You prepare a table . . .”
“You anoint my head . . .”
We may be the canvas, the paper, or the scalpel, but we are not the one who deserves the applause. And just to make sure we get the point, right smack-dab in the middle of the poem, David declares who does. The Shepherd leads his sheep, not for our names’ sake, but for His name’s sake.” ~Max Lucado, Traveling Light (Nashville, Tennessee, Thomas Nelson, 2001) 71-73
