Thursday, April 20, 2017

Gates of Nehemiah — The Valley Gate

“The valley gate repaired Hanun” (Nehemiah 3:13)

This gate suggests to us the thought of humility. Of the Lord as the perfect example we read, “He humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:5, 8) We also have several exhortations regarding humbling ourselves. Here are four of them:

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

How watchful we need to be from day to day, in our service for Christ, that pride doesn’t become the motive for what we do. “What doth the Lord require of thee, but … to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) We have nothing to boast in apart from what we are by the grace of God.