Be clothed with humility... for God resisteth the proud.

" Humble yourselves therefore under the MIGHTY hand of God, 

that He may exalt you in due time." 

1 Peter 5:6

Today I was contemplating on a well known verse. A verse quoted many times as an encouragement to those in need... a verse we often cling to ourselves.

The verse was sent to me today... mainly as a reference. Not always very good with references, I picked up the Word of God and found the verse. 

Oh, yes.... a verse I knew quite well.

" Casting all your care your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

 1Peter5:7

I stopped a bit and thought about the verse. Yes, truly, the Lord cares for us. But then I thought how sometimes we "cast" our cares  for a moment and then find ourselves trying to "reel" those very cares right back.

Do you ever do that? 

Maybe we find ourselves desiring God to change the situation...  and when He doesn't, we kind of get in the way. Sometimes I find myself "reeling" in the problems, trying hard to adjust things on the "line", then "cast" again . Yet, I still find myself without strength. It's easy to do... this  keeping of control. 

But after reading the verse, I thought about the powerful promise the Lord left for us... we are to cast ALL our cares upon Him... for HE cares for us. .

Wanting more insight on the powerful promise, I started reading the verses prior. And as I was reading the verses, the Lord opened my eyes to a new thought in regards to the well known verse. I really never thought about it this way....

"Be clothed with humility: 

For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, 

That He may exalt you in due time." 

1 Peter 5,6.

Before we are to "cast our cares upon Him" we are to be clothed with humility... Yes, clothed in humility! Our prayers before a Righteous and Holy God should be one of humbleness.

Clothed in humility? That's often hard.  Awfully hard. It sounds much easier to just "cast my cares". But must I also clothe myself in humility?

Why, humbling ourselves requires that we be nothing... and none of us like to be treated like nothing. None of us want to lose control. We want to have some form of power... 

Humbleness... relinquishing all form of pride, our power, our will, our importance. 

When we become humble, we become NOTHING.... and God  becomes EVERYTHING. 

Only when there's absolutely nothing left of our own accord/will/power... can we truly " cast our cares upon Him" and understand that God will indeed "care for us". 

Why do I forget to rely on His MIGHTY hand? God will care for me as He sees fit... 

And His promise is that He will exalt us in due time... not our time, but His time. It's a promise! 

I thank the Lord for revealing to me today my need to humble myself before I come before Him... so that I can rest in His care of me!

 Search me, O God, and know my heart: 

Try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, 

And lead me in the way everlasting. 

Psalm 139; 23,24

Free of my pride, I can be sure that  He will give grace in my time of need. 

For He promises, "He will give grace to the humble". That's enough to praise the LORD as He continues to work in my life. 

May you be encouraged to relinquish all form of pride and clothe yourself with humility... before the MIGHTY hand of God.

~Ellie