Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
True humility is not what some people think it is. It is not a pious look, or a demeanor, neither is it any attitude or the disposition to bow very often. When one demonstrates respect where warranted that is good, but that does not necessarily denote humility.
Back in the days of yore, when kung fu was the in-thing, Silver Fox and Jackie Chan used to do a whole lot of bowing, even after they had kicked the living daylights out of their opponents, they would take a bow, for what reason we still do not know.
Looking so pious with their long beards they would at first glance exude an aura of humility, but later we would discover that striving for the highest place ran like a common thread throughout and therefore it also falls short of the Biblical definition of what is humility.
And there are some who have lived their entire lives in monasteries and convents, who do not have one thread of humility running throughout the fabric of their characters. Again, humility isn’t the disposition to always accept injustice without a remonstrance on the part of the offended one, for none of these prior descriptions fully grasp the Biblical meaning of humility.
True humility is inextricably linked to obedience. If God gives us instructions and commands and folks either deliberately reject openly or passively, it is a sign that pride still exists in the heart, for humility will lead us to accept whatsoever God says as final, even if we may not agree, or may have questions and concerns.
Therefore, any pious attitude which does not lead a person to ultimately obey God is not humility at all but is rather identified as being proud. As far as God is concerned, humility and obedience are two peas in one pod, and are inseparably interwoven, as can be observed in the following passages of scripture that pertain to the humility of Christ. Let’s read:
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Any so-called humility that does not lead persons to obey God, is a counterfeit, no matter how pious and humble those persons may seem to be. When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, with the fate of this world was hanging in the balance, He asked His father if there wasn’t another way for our salvation to be accomplished.
And since there was no other way, He surrendered to the will of His Father. It is worthy of note, that He did so with strong crying and tears which teaches us the sacred truth that there will be times in our own experience when it would be pretty difficult to obey God. Thus, true humility will always lead us to put everything on the line to obey God. Let’s read:
Matthew 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest. behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
But before we proceed, there are a few things folks would need to understand about humble obedience if we’re to be prepared for the promised latter rain. God is not accustomed to getting push back when He gives a direct command, because if the universe were to be run that way, there would be a collapse of worlds, systems, and order.
Some folks often ask why God speaks to us through intermediaries such as prophets, pastors, teachers and providence. The short answer to that question is that in most cases it is the only safe way to speak to mortals, for we are often too much in the habit of questioning, delaying, murmuring, or having to think about it before we obey. Then, by the time we are finally ready to move on His word, the very essence of what God was trying to accomplish is often lost.
When God gives a command to any created being, whether they be angels or men, the speed at which they obey is of critical importance, for any delay will present a sort of push-back, and it could potentially have adverse consequences to those involved if the attitude isn’t corrected quickly.
This is one of the reasons why God gave Ezekiel the vision of the wheel within a wheel, to demonstrate the intricate and complex relationship between His commands and required obedience. Therefore, as the Cherubim and Seraphim receive the word of command from The Lord, they dart out like a bolt of lightening and return to their original position to await any other directive.
Questions they may have, and a full understanding of God’s purposes may be presently evasive, yet all of those variables do not hinder them from darting out and returning at the speed of lightening in what is described as humble obedience. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 1:3 The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And everyone had four faces, and everyone had four wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went everyone straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
One of the reasons why such a graphic vision was given to Ezekiel, was so that he himself might be prepared to obey God with humility. The prophet was to be sent to a rebellious people, and he would encounter great danger and difficulty yet, like those mighty angels he saw in vision, he was to go straight forward, and not turn as he went.
In other words, regardless of the obstacles that he would certainly encounter, regardless of the many questions he may have, and regardless of the threat to himself personally he was not to alter, tone down or modify God’s word, but he must rather dart and return, like the proverbial bolt of lightning, to await any further directives from God.
This would call for true humility on his part; at times the message of God would not be received with joy, and yes, he would often encounter push back, but not one or all of these variables were to phase the prophet Ezekiel. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spoke unto me.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Ezekiel 3: 16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore, hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Thus, Ezekiel was to exercise true humility, in real time by obeying God’s word, even at times when he would be at great odds with the house of Israel. The word of God was not to be made subject to man’s will, nor was it to be discussed for the purpose of a consensus. True humility would lead the prophet to deliver the goods, obeying God’s word in everything, and then, possibly getting answers and explanations later on.
But with us mortals there is often a twiddling of the thumbs, hesitation, questionings, doubts, and often we subject God’s commands to scientific research before we obey. The Bible gives us a thus saith “The Lord” but it does not give us the findings of research nor does it often give the science behind commands God gives, as reasons why we should obey.
In fact, one of the fatal delusions gripping too many Christians in our day is that of waiting for research to confirm what God has said, before obedience is rendered. And because of this habit, folks who may claim to believe in God are inadvertently becoming members of the church of Scientology.
That humility manifested by Christ which leads us to obey God against all odds, seems to be in very short supply in our day, and in its place, a hybrid form of humbleness which makes obedience subject to the science of the day has taken deep root in the minds of many. And as a direct result, the faith of former years is being literally threatened with extinction.
And thus, because of these attitudes, God finds it necessary to speak to us through intermediaries in general, so as not to place the human agent at risk, because of delay. In training and preparation for the latter rain, persons would need to cultivate habits of speedy, willing obedience, without stopping to question, or debate God’s will.
In fact, many of those who look forward eagerly to the outpouring of The Holy Spirit might not have understood that there can be great risk involved if the habit of immediate, unquestioning obedience has not been cultivated.
When Jesus called eleven of His disciples, He looked for unquestioning obedience to His word, and those who responded, generally obeyed immediately, and this in turn would set the stage for obedience to all future commands that would be coming from Him. The willingness to obey quickly is one characteristic Jesus was specifically looking for.
It isn’t necessary to know or understand everything up front about the Bible, and the Godhead before we obey. Bible studies and explanations often shed increasing light on various truths, but these are not to inhibit any person from manifesting true humility by obeying God, today.
What persons can and should do is to start obeying what they know to be right. The simple truths that have been made plain to our minds ought to be as steppingstones to obedience in greater matters, for it takes time to climb Jacob’s ladder. But for us to wait until we understand the books of Daniel, and the Revelation, would put off salvation for another day, and this can lead to procrastination the favorite tool of demons and devils.
Thus, it’s not necessarily an extensive knowledge of God’s word that makes persons humble; it is one’s willingness to obey God in whatsoever we know to be right currently, no matter how small such issues may be, because any person who is humble in little things will most likely be humble and obedient in greater matters.
When Peter walked on water through the power of God, it was a manifestation of that very same habit of obeying immediately, before he fully understood, which had previously caused him to leave his fishing nets to follow Jesus.
At that time, Peter didn’t stop to make any of those financial and social calculations that we too often indulge in before we obey. Instead, casting aside all valid and invalid concerns, he began to exercise that humility which always leads to obedience. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him.
Matthew 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
If one’s humility does not ultimately lead to obeying God, then such humility is false and is instead pride. The humbleness which the Bible enjoins always leads to obedience, in every instance, without exception!
As the outpouring of the latter rain begins to gain momentum, our attitudes toward obeying God will need to be corrected where needed, for we will be placed in circumstances that warrant a humility that would move us to obey implicitly, any directive that comes from God.
Several specific examples of what we are speaking of are given in the scriptures at the outpouring of the early rain, with the hope that we would study closely, the humility and obedience God is looking for, and which He desires to develop in us, where there may be a deficiency. Let’s read:
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
In so many of these instances, where true humility led persons to obey God’s word, we notice that the explanations and reasons were only found out later, in the process of obeying, and thus, like the mighty Cherubs and Seraphim in Ezekiel’s vision, those who received God’s word were to go “straight forward” not turning as they went.
This is exactly what The Lord is looking for in our day as He prepares His army of spiritual soldiers to take on the behemoth of the beast and its systems that are soon to engulf all of humanity. Quick, and unquestioning obedience is the first, and foremost prerequisite, and in lieu of this, we should now be cultivating habits of ready obedience to any and everything God says.
Those hesitations, questionings, deliberations, and delays of former years, the clamor for explanations before we move on God’s word, and those scientific data, analysis and research that too often preempts obedience, would have to be resolutely put away.
And instead, a primitive kind of godliness which acts quickly on all of God’s commands would need to be the rule rather than the exception, as it currently is in too many cases today. This will require that true humility of former years, the faith, trust, belief, and understanding that God knows what He’s doing, and as such, all we need to do is to trust and obey, for there’s no other way. Let’s read:
[Last day Events pp 204>205] In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. God will work a work in our day that few anticipate. He will raise up and exalt among us those who are taught rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the outward training of scientific institutions.
These facilities aren’t to be despised or condemned; they are ordained of God, but they can furnish only the exterior qualifications. God will manifest that He is not dependent on learned, self-important mortals.
It is discipline of spirit, cleanness of heart and thought that is needed. This is of more value than brilliant talent, tact, or knowledge. An ordinary mind, trained to obey a “Thus saith the Lord,” is better qualified for God's work than are those who have capabilities but do not employ them rightly.
Therefore, as the latter rain begins to fall in copious showers all around us, let us cherish and cultivate a willing heart and ready mind to wait on God for His will to be made known, and when it is, let us be like the heavenly ministers, who went straight forward, not turning as they went.
We’ll end with a passage of scripture which should enable us see the importance of making a full and complete surrender to God so that if He so chooses, He can use us to take the final message of mercy to a dying world. Let’s read:
Joel 1:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march everyone on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks.
8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
God Bless!