God's Standard Procedure

467 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 7:19 "And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord GOD; and You have also spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? This small thing in the sight of God goes back to 2Sa 7:8b and entails the entire Davidic covenant. "'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.” God took this lowly shepherd boy and made him ruler over a great nation and then promised David that a King would come from his seed that would rule forever! This whole scenario seems like a fairy tale to David. Too good to be true, and yet he acknowledges that it is no big deal for a Mighty and Sovereign God. Then he asks a rhetorical question, “Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” The obvious answer is no! Sinful man doesn't think or work that way, but this mode of operation of rewarding the humble is standard procedure in God's economy. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble! It is as Jesus said to His disciples in Mt 20:25-27, “ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- And He reiterated that thought in Lu 14:8-11, “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 "and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 "But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Father, pride is ever seeking to raise it's ugly head in our lives. Help us to learn true humility and give us a servant heart.