Cultivating Humility and Dependence on God's Word Daily
Cultivating Humility and Dependence on God's Word Daily
Humility is a fundamental Christian virtue, characterized by a willingness to submit to God's will and depend on His Word. The biblical basis for humility is rooted in the character of Christ, who exemplified humility throughout His life and ministry [1]. As the one tradition writes, "Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you" [3], highlighting the importance of daily dependence on God's Word.
The pursuit of humility is closely tied to diligence in seeking God and obeying His commands. Torrey's Topical Textbook notes that diligence is required by God in seeking Him, obeying Him, and striving after perfection [2]. This diligence involves cultivating Christian graces, such as humility, and guarding against defilement.
In the view of Protestant academics, true humility involves submission to and dependence on God, as seen in passages like Psalms 18:25-27 and Proverbs 15:33 [7]. This understanding is echoed in the writings of Nonconformist/Puritan commentators, who emphasize the importance of humility in subjection to God's government [6, 9].
The practice of daily exhortation is also crucial in cultivating humility. The writer of Hebrews encourages believers to "exhort one another daily" to prevent unbelief and apostasy [4, 5]. This daily exhortation involves discoursing together about divine things, praying together, and instructing one another in the doctrines of the Gospel.
The connection between humility and dependence on God's Word is further highlighted in the Psalms. Psalm 119:43 expresses the desire to speak a word in season for the glory of God, and to have the Word of truth always in one's mouth [8]. This emphasis on the Word of God is also seen in Proverbs 3:7, which warns against being wise in one's own eyes and encourages humility and fear of the Lord [9].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Humility of Christ, The — Declared by himself -- Mt 11:29. Exhibited in his Taking our nature. -- Php 2:7; Heb 2:16. Birth. -- Lu 2:4-7. Subjection to his parents. -- Lu 2:51. Station in life. -- Mt 13:55; Joh 9:29. Poverty. -- Lu 9:58; 2Co 8:9. Partaking of our infirmities. -- Heb 4:15; 5:7. Submitting to ordinances. -- Mt 3:13-15. Becoming a servant. -- Mt 20:28; Lu 22:27; Php 2:7. Associating with the despised. -- Mt 9:10,11; Lu 15:1,2. Refusing honours. -- Joh 5:41; 6:15. Entry into Jerusalem. -- Zec 9:9; Mt 21:5,7. Washing his disciples' feet. -- Joh 13:5. Obedi”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Diligence — Christ, an example -- Mr 1:35; Lu 2:49. Required by God in Seeking him. -- 1Ch 22:19; Heb 11:6. Obeying him. -- De 6:17; 11:13. Hearkening to him. -- Isa 55:2. Striving after perfection. -- Php 3:13,14. Cultivating Christian graces. -- 2Pe 1:5. Keeping the souls. -- De 4:9. Keeping the heart. -- Pr 4:23. Labours of love. -- Heb 6:10-12. Following every good work. -- 1Ti 5:10. Guarding against defilement. -- Heb 12:15. Seeking to be found spotless. -- 2Pe 3:14. Making our call, &c, sure. -- 2Pe 1:10. Self-examination. -- Ps 77:6. Lawful business. -- Pr 27:”
- Psalms “Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you. -- Psalms 143:8”
- Hebrews “but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. -- Hebrews 3:13”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 3:13: But exhort one another daily,.... In order to prevent unbelief and apostasy. The phrase is sometimes rendered, "comfort one another", or, "yourselves together", as in Th1 5:11 which the saints may do, by discoursing together about divine things; by praying together; by instructing one another in the doctrines of the Gospel; by putting one another in mind of the covenant of grace, and its promises; and by observing the near approach of everlasting happiness with Christ. And though the business of exhortation greatly belongs to ministers of the word, yet it ought not t”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 8:32: We have here the application of Wisdom's discourse; the design and tendency of it is to bring us all into an entire subjection to the laws of religion, to make us wise and good, not to fill our heads with speculations, or our tongues with disputes, but to rectify what is amiss in our hearts and lives. In order to this, here is, I. An exhortation to hear and obey the voice of Wisdom, to attend and comply with the good instructions that the word of God gives us, and in them to discern the voice of Christ, as the sheep know the shepherd's voice. 1. We must be dilig”
- Zephaniah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zephaniah 2:3: 2:3 all who are humble: True humility involves submission to and dependence on God (Pss 18:25-27; 119:142-144; Prov 15:33; 18:12; 22:4).”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:43: Here is, 1. David's humble petition for the tongue of the learned, that he might know how to speak a word in season for the glory of God: Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. He means, "Lord, let the word of truth be always in my mouth; let me have the wisdom and courage which are necessary to enable me both to use my knowledge for the instruction of others, and, like the good householder, to bring out of my treasury things new and old, and to make profession of my faith whenever I am called to it." We have need to pray to God that we may never be”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 3:7: We have here before us three exhortations, each of them enforced with a good reason: - I. We must live in a humble and dutiful subjection to God and his government (Pro 3:7): "Fear the Lord, as your sovereign Lord and Master; be ruled in every thing by your religion and subject to the divine will." This must be, 1. A humble subjection: Be not wise in thy own eyes. Note, There is not a greater enemy to the power of religion, and the fear of God in the heart, than conceitedness of our own wisdom. Those that have an opinion of their own sufficiency think it below t”