Humbled Hearts, Wise Steps
Humble heart, steady steps, wisdom begins where reverence turns the handle
Devotional Credit, Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit, Unsplash
Humility and the fear of the Lord walk hand in hand. Bob Hoekstra points us to that simple path that leads to a full life in Jesus. Not a life built on nervous performance, but a life that grows from deep reverence and steady trust. In the Scriptures we see that humility is not self-disgust. It is the honest acknowledgement that we need the Lord to be the source of everything we are and everything we do.
Hoekstra highlights a beautiful promise. By humility and the fear of the Lord come riches and honor and life. In Christ, those words speak of the fullness of spiritual life. Abundance that Jesus gives. Wisdom that begins with reverence. This is not about trying harder. It is about looking up, bowing our hearts, and receiving what the Lord has already provided in His Son.
He also shows how reverence reshapes our loves and our hates. To fear the Lord is to hate what twists and destroys. Pride, arrogance, crooked ways, and corrosive speech lose their charm. At the same time, new affections grow. Righteousness and justice matter because they matter to God. Love expands outward, not only to the family of faith, but also to the world that He loves and is calling to Himself.
As we take this in, notice how corporate the Bible’s vision is. The Lord forms a people who share His character and carry His Name together. We each respond personally, yet we do so as members of His body, joined to Jesus and joined to one another. Thank you, Bob Hoekstra, for calling us back to this humble, worshipful way that leads to real wisdom.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I lift the humble and give grace to them. I set wisdom at the doorway of reverence, and as you bow your heart to Me, I open that door. I have given you abundant life in My Son. I have provided all that pertains to life and godliness. I work in you to will and to do what delights Me, so that your obedience flows from union and not from strain.
Set your mind on things above where the Messiah is seated. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Me in Jesus. Present yourself to Me, and I will express His life in your body. I teach your heart to love what I love and to refuse what I refuse. Pride gives way to meekness. Crooked speech gives way to truth. Injustice gives way to righteousness. I make you a living testimony that I love My people, and I love the world that I am drawing to Myself.
Remember that I am forming a people. You are My workmanship together, created in Christ Jesus for good works that I prepared beforehand. I complete what I begin. Walk in the fear of the Lord, and you will learn wisdom in ordinary minutes. Keep your eyes on Jesus. As you behold Him, you are changed.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a home thermostat. You can keep running from room to room, opening windows and fanning the air with a book, but the temperature will wobble and wear you out. Set the thermostat rightly, and the system does the quiet work of bringing the whole house into balance. Humility and the fear of the Lord are like letting the indwelling Spirit of Jesus set the thermostat of your inner life. He adjusts your values and desires to match the heart of God. Then your words and choices begin to steady without frantic self-management.
A simple, specific moment, before a hard conversation at work, I turn my attention to the Lord within and say, Lord, I rely on You here. Set my heart to Your wisdom and gentleness. Express Your truth and kindness through me as I speak. Then I take the next honest step, trusting Him to supply what I cannot manufacture.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I already possess the life that is truly life. Thank You for pouring out grace upon the humble and for teaching my heart to revere Your Name. You have given me every spiritual blessing in Christ. You have provided all I need for life and godliness. Today I gladly take the low place, I look to You, and I trust Your Spirit to express the wisdom, honor, and life that come from You. I rest in Your faithful love.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 22:4, John 10:10, 2 Peter 1:3, Philippians 2:13, Colossians 3:1-4, Romans 6:11-13, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:29-30, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 37:28, John 3:16