The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

— Psalm 51:17

When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

— Proverbs 11:2

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

— 1 Peter 5:6

and those who use the things of this world, as if not dependent on them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

— 1 Corinthians 7:31

The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

— 1 John 2:17

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

— Isaiah 41:10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Reliance on earthly position, possessions, and power can blind us to God’s provision and supremacy. God often employs drastic measures to turn our attention back to Him. For example, God humiliated Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar when he ignored God’s warnings and continually defaulted to self-glorification. God dealt with him in a lengthy way to cure him of his spiritual blindness. Approaching God requires humility and repentance. Only a right view of God and ourselves allows us to have a reconciled relationship with our Creator and experience His highest purpose for our lives.

Believers understand the limitations of life on earth and the glorious truth about God Himself. The visible but delegated authority wielded by human governments and rulers rests beneath God’s unlimited sovereignty. God calls His people to recognize the frail and fleeting nature of earthly power and worship Him alone. While we might profess bold faith in God on an easy day, the unwavering trust in the God we worship emerges amid life’s challenges. The true experiential knowledge of God, and His sovereignty builds unshakable confidence in God within us.