Stay Humble in His Presence
ICS Daily Devotions

Deuteronomy 8:11 (NKJV) Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgements, and His statutes which I command you today,

Do you know that God has established a way to help us stay humble and constantly reliant on Him? Tithe and freewill offerings not only remind us that God is the source of our blessings but also of our covenant obligations. They keep us humble before God because it is in God that we move and have our being.

We need to come to a point in our lives where we acknowledge that only God has blessed us with all we have and declare it, even when we are not facing any crisis. Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is the body. There are needs in the church that God wants to supply through those who are faithful stewards of His finances and resources. Tithe and freewill offering express our worship, declare our faith and reliance on Him, and keep us humble before God because we are reminded of His faithfulness.

The issues are not money and prosperity but pride and idolatry. God desires to draw us back to seeking His face rather than His hand, and He doesn’t want us to worry like the people in the world. However, we need to make time to be in God’s presence. Given our busy schedule, this has to be intentional. We need to develop this spiritual discipline because it is where we are nourished, renewed and refreshed, just like a battery recharged. It is also in His presence that He reveals His plan, strategies and ideas to us.

Matthew 6:32-34 (NKJV) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

God doesn’t necessarily hand us riches directly, even though He could, but instead grants us the capacity—physical strength, mental ability, skills, favourable circumstances, resources, opportunities, and success in our endeavours—to produce wealth.

When we are refreshed in His presence, cast all our anxieties on Him, and draw wisdom from Him, we will have the strength and grace to face daily challenges. The peace that Jesus has given us guards our hearts and minds in Him, helping us think clearly and make better decisions.

We must remember that God is a God of covenant and will watch over His part to fulfil it in our lives. He will honour His covenant with us just as He honoured His covenant with the people of Israel. Meanwhile, we need to know it is the Lord when people grant us favour and bring us into situations that give us success. God provides us with favourable circumstances and recruits capable people to help us, and He will open opportunities and new doors, and make our path straight when we humbly acknowledge Him, trust in Him, and lean not on our understanding.

Sermon Series: Stay Humble in His Presence