Quiet Shoulders, Clear Wisdom

The low place where grace meets us with wisdom

Devotional Credit, Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit, Unsplash

Pride always promises elevation, then hands us a heavy coat of shame. Bob Hoekstra points us to a better road, the low path where the Lord pours out grace. Humility is not groveling, it is living in reality, I am not the source, Jesus is. When we take that posture, we discover that wisdom is not far off. It meets us in the ordinary, guiding our words, our choices, our pace.

The Scriptures are plain. God resists the proud, and He gladly supplies grace to the humble. That is not punishment for high achievers, it is protection for dependent children. Pride attempts to build a life with borrowed lumber. Humility receives the life of Christ as the foundation and the framing. Wisdom grows there, steady and bright, because it starts with the fear of the Lord and continues with trust in His sufficiency.

Shame clings to pride because pride insists on being enough. Honor accompanies humility because humility rests in the One who is enough. Wisdom begins to shine in honest places, a quiet word where a sharp one used to land, a yielded decision where control used to squeeze, a new freedom to serve where reputation once ruled.

Thank you, Bob Hoekstra, for helping us see the contrast with such clarity. Pride carries the seeds of its own collapse. Humility opens the door to grace, and grace teaches us how to walk. Jesus does not shame us into wisdom. He shepherds us into it as we depend on His indwelling life.

Journal Entry - Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I lift up the lowly and give grace to the humble. I dwell with the contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the heart that knows its need. I set My gaze against pride because it blinds and burdens, but I give generous grace where dependence is welcomed. Draw near to Me and I draw near to you. Humble yourself under My mighty hand, and in the right time I lift you up.

I have united you with My Son. His life is your life. Reckon yourself alive to Me in Jesus. Present yourself to Me and I will express the life of the Messiah through your mortal body. My wisdom is pure, peaceable, and gentle. It is first yielded to Me. It is not born from rivalry or self-importance. It comes as you look to the interests of others because I am your supply.

Let the mind that was in Christ be the mind that shapes you, He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant. I work in you to will and to do what pleases Me. Do not trust in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Me, and I will make straight your paths. I dwell in the one who trembles at My word, and I make the weak strong by My grace. Let the one who boasts, boast in Me.

Real-Life Analogy

Think of a kitchen scale. If the scale is not zeroed, every measurement is off, no matter how carefully you add ingredients. The simple reset button clears the hidden error so the weight is true. That is what humility looks like in real life. The Holy Spirit presses the reset in our hearts, not by scolding, but by centering us in Jesus as our source. Then wisdom measures our steps accurately.

A specific way this can play out, during a planning meeting when opinions clash, I can notice the urge to win the room. Instead of tightening my grip, I turn inward to the Spirit of the Lord who lives in me and say, Lord, I entrust this conversation to You, think and love through me, guide my words and my pauses. Then I offer one clear contribution and listen with openness. The result is not self-managed restraint, it is His life expressed in a quiet, wise tone.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that in Jesus I already have Your favor. Thank You that humility is not a ladder to climb, it is a gift You work in me as I trust You. You have placed Your Spirit within me. You have given me all I need for life and godliness. Today I gladly take the low place with the Son, counting on Your grace to supply wisdom in each conversation, decision, and task. I honor You by resting in Your sufficiency and by walking in the wisdom You freely provide.

Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section

Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 66:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Psalm 19:7, Micah 6:8, Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 18:9-14, John 15:4-5, Romans 6:11, Romans 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 1:27, Philippians 2:1-13, James 3:13-18, James 4:6-10, 1 Peter 5:5-6