Humble Yourself Now
by Charles R. Swindoll
Read Job 42:1
Take special notice of Job's words. He does not reply, "I've got an argument here." On the contrary, He says, "I retract and repent." There's no divine force. There's no threatening rebuke from God. "Job, if you don't get down on your knees and beg for mercy from Me, I'm going to finish you off!"
No. In gentle, resigned submission Job rests his case in the Father's will. He says, "You instruct me, and as a result of Your instruction, I will willingly submit and accept it." Do you know what I love about Job's attitude? There is an absence of talk about "my rights." There is not a hint of personal entitlement. There is no expectation or demand. There's not even a plea for God to understand or to defend him before his argumentative friends. Furthermore, there's no self-pity, no moody, depressed spirit. He is completely at rest. His innermost being, at last, is at peace.
You may say, "Well, if God had blessed me as He blessed Job, I'd say that too." Wait. He hasn't yet brought relief or reward. The man is still covered with boils. He still doesn't have any family. He's still homeless. He's still bankrupt. With nothing external changed, Job says quietly, "Lord, I'm Yours."
Focus on the timing. Humble yourself not after He exalts you, but humble yourself now. Don't wait. Pull back, stop the arguing, and rest in Him. It is remarkable how He will quiet your spirit and transport you to a realm of contentment you've never known before, even with most of the answers missing. The philosophers of this world demand answers. The believer who has now learned through this kind of cataclysmic experience to trust, regardless, demands nothing. And the worries slowly fade away, one after another.
"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you"
(James 4:10).
Reprinted by permission. Day by Day, Charles Swindoll, July 2005, Thomas Nelson, inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. purchase "day by day" here.