Surrender

Secret Weapon            

Proverbs 18:12 MSG

Romans 3:23 AMP

Many decades ago I memorized this scripture and because the version I memorized began with “Pride goeth before the fall…” I thought I memorized it from the King James English. My Bible was the KJV, but it wasn’t from that version. However, thanks to modern technology even if we remember a portion if scripture we can find where it’s found in scripture.

I love that and I consider it a miracle. I don’t remember life without scripture.

I love what The Message says in Proverbs 18:12, “Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor.”

The words from The Message are to the point and clear.

I have witnessed the truth of pride preceding a crash many times in my life. Looking back I can see my pride and I remember the crash.

I also remember very wise older people in my life who had learned the truth (the hard way) about what caused the crash. We know “all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

When I was younger (the age of my oldest grandchildren) I questioned the word ALL. I thought it surely that could not be true. I was wrong. Looking back I can see that was true about many things. When I was younger I was certain I was right. They are stark words…ALL have sinned. Every version of scripture is clear…ALL.

Do you know what’s really important about that? Even though I was so certain, God smiled and loved me anyway.

The second part of Proverbs 18:12 says humility is before honor. In the Hebrew the word  is translated ‘and before’. The literal translation from the Hebrew says ‘before destruction is haughty the heart of a man and before honor humility.

As I write this I remember recently someone said something that hurt me deeply. It cut me with a knife. I knew what was said was wrong and I held onto it. It WAS wrong. As I write this I realized my pride stood in the way of God helping me. Once I was able to let go of my pride, I was able to humbly go before God and give up my pride. The act of releasing my pride to God allowed me to receive humility. I was reminded I cannot create humility. I can only release my pride to God and then receive humility from God.

Then and only then was I able to let go of the hurtful words spoken to me. The act of surrender before God was the healing act. I am a work in progress.

In God, Deborah/acrazyjourney.com