Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
442. Be Thou the rainbow to the storms of life,
The evening beam that smiles the clouds away,
And tints to-morrow with prophetic ray. — Byron.
HUMILITY
443. Humility is a flower of a plant set by the divine hand.
The heathen world knew nothing of this virtue. God delights
in humility. He is "nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:18).
It has been said that pride and self-sufficiency are a miserable
insufficiency, but meekness and self-distrust are allied to
all-sufficiency.
Our divine Master frequently taught and exemplified this
virtue. He said : "Blessed are the poor in spirit : for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). He frequently commended
humility, and said : "Every one that exalteth himself
shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted"
(Luke 14:14). "Except ye turn, and become as little children,
ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.
18:3). He took a towel, girded Himself, poured water into a
basin, and washed the disciples' feet (John 13:4, 5). Peter
wrote : "All of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one
another; for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the
humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1 Pet. 5:5, 6).
It is to be feared that, ofttime, humility is sadly lacking, and,
instead, there is much contention for place, desire for pre-eminence.
Many would far rather stand receiving the plaudits of
their followers, than, like their Master, bend at their feet as a
slave.
To cultivate this virtue, men need to fix their thoughts upon
the Lord. Not that there is much virtue in the recognition of
our littleness. "It is no great humility in a fly to esteem itself
nothing in comparison to a mountain ; nor for a drop of water
to hold itself nothing in comparison of the sea ; nor for a spark
of fire to hold itself nothing in respect of the sun." Yet, it is
well to place ourselves alongside of Omnipotence, for thoughts
of God's greatness lead to a deep consciousness of our nothingness.
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