As the father of ten children who desires to bring up his arrows in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, I believe in family worship. Over the years, we have adopted different reading methods to instill in their hearts a love for Jesus. One of these methods has been the daily dose of Proverbs. Since the Book of Proverbs is composed of 31 chapters, each day we are able to read the chapter that corresponds with the day of the month. This method allows us to read completely through this insightful book each month.
However, this system also presents a weakness. The Book of Proverbs is filled with valuable “one-liners,” life-changing statements that can be easily overlooked as we move so quickly from verse to verse. Chapter three of the Book of Proverbs is filled with such gems. One of the most profound verses is Proverbs 3:34, which tells us, “Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble.”
Yet, this simple verse is surrounded by other weighty statements. In chapter three, we learn that the law of God brings peace; how God will direct us as we trust in Him; how God will bless us as we honor Him; how wisdom is more valuable than gold; and so much more. Chapter three is full of the promises of God for the one who fully trusts in Him. With all these glorious promises, we might easily miss the simple truth: God’s grace fills those who are empty of themselves.
Ponder these words for a moment – “He gives grace to the humble.” This is such a simple statement. In comparison with the other directives and promises of this well known chapter, it almost seems as if it is an afterthought. We would rather ponder all the blessings of chapter 3, those of wealth, peace, security, protection, and wisdom than consider the call to humility. But this verse is the precursor for all the blessings!
It all starts with humility. We will never see the rest of the promises of Proverbs chapter 3 in our lives if we do not start with humility. Because they are all components of God’s grace.
Men have tried to explain God’s grace over time using various acronyms. Here’s a couple that I have found helpful. Grace is:
“God’s riches at Christ’s expense.”
“God’s resources and corresponding enabling.”
And of course there is the well worn definition of grace as God’s unmerited favor. These are painfully simple attempts to explain the incomprehensible power, wonder, and mystery of God’s grace.
You see, as we read our Bibles and ponder God’s promises, we are continually confronted with grace. God’s grace encapsulates His love for us, His protection, His provision, and His empowerment to live for Him in all situations. And, as we see in verse 34 of Proverbs chapter 3, God gives this grace! He willingly gives it! We do not earn His grace. We do not negotiate for His grace. Our God bestow His grace upon us. And His grace includes the multitude of blessings listed in this chapter.
But how do we appropriate His grace? If He gives it freely, is there anything that we must do? What we see in this verse may seem to some to be a paradox. God gives His grace freely, but He does so to those who have humbled themselves. We must be humbled. We must be empty of ourselves. But, what does that look like?
A powerful illustration of this concept is the parable Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke chapter 18. As the drama unfolds, the two men go up to the temple to pray. Yet, their prayers and their postures are strikingly dissimilar. The Pharisee stands proudly before the Lord and proclaims his own righteousness. He rejoices that he is not like others. He stands spiritually above the masses. He pronounces the things he has done: his fasting, his giving, his righteousness. In comparison, the tax collector knows his sin so well that he cannot even come to the temple. This man does not lift his eyes up to God; he cannot raise his hands to the Lord. He expects nothing from God except the wrath he knows he deserves. And the only prayer he voices is this, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” And then Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went away justified! The man who knew his sin received the grace!
What happened in the life of the tax collector was something that must happen to anyone who truly desires to see the grace of God manifested in their lives. And if there ever was a group of people that needed to understand the grace of God, it is those of us who align ourselves with the camp. Indeed, we know quite a bit about the doctrines of grace; we know about our sinful state; we know about the finished work of Jesus on the Cross; we know that God is to get all the glory. But do we really believe it? Do we communicate it to others by the way we live our lives? Are we aware that we are undone without Him?
We trust so much in our methods and in our systematics. We hold on to our intellectual strength and our moral fortitude. And in doing so, we often miss the power of the grace of God.
When we are trusting in ourselves, there is no room for His grace. When we are full of ourselves, we cannot be filled by our Lord. If we think we can be good husbands, good wives, good parents, good leaders, good children, or good servants in our own strength, we just become good Pharisees. And that is not good, because we end up scorning the power of God. We don’t go to Him in humility because we don’t know that we really need Him. And, in the end, all we will earn is His scorn. Our good works will be nothing but filthy rags before Him.
If we want His grace, His power, His protection, and His wisdom, we must become empty, empty of ourselves, our supposed strengths, our talents, our pride. We must come to Him as the tax collector, seeing our sin. We must teach our children to do so as well. Then, all the promises of His grace are poured out upon us, and we finally experience true joy and true peace.
And to make it legal, the opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the other elders or members of Providence Church.
