Baby Steps #3

Psalm 34:2 teaches that the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Hear what? Hear the Word and keep it. “The meek will He teach.” “The meek will He guide in judgment,” Psalm 25:9. Sounds like humility and meekness open some doors to a real God and His living Word? 

Yes. Humility comes from living in the effects of a crucified self life with its’ old consciousness removed, while meekness is a devotion to the newly opened God-consciousness in resurrection. These are two functions experienced in soul and spirit. They alter the mind, breaking will, emotions and conscience. In essence, humility relates to the process of death; meekness with the life following.

So, as we take baby steps with our God in Micah 6:8, our steps are firmed up in faith-meekness in which we condition ourselves to “see as good” the perfect plan of God and receive and apply the engrafted Word of God. God begins to make these truths alive in us gradually, as we begin to reckon on our positional death, burial, and resurrection.

To do this “making alive” in us, the earthen vessel must be broken. God shapes a plan to break us and our developing meek attitude devotedly endures a process of many circumstances and experiences as the cross slays the old nature. These outward and inward trials beat down the self-life, take us out of its consciousness, and make us alive to God’s sphere of love. If fear dwells in self-consciousness, this new love casts out the fear. See it?

A person who, through perhaps many trials, has gained the constant experiential operation of this death, burial and resurrection, is called “broken.” The Word also does this breaking. Burial puts our sin consciousness out of sight and is a vital part of the process. In a broken person love thrives in “alive unto God consciousness,” as a side effect.

Broken in terms of our value system, having been crushed, we can easily choose in favor of the new. We must remember that all of God’s inner workings are subject to our will to apply this brokenness daily by faith. As an illustration of this principle, perhaps partners are knit together through trials and testing. They can theoretically still make decisions to betray the strong love that was built. Likewise, that depth of broken experience in our soul can also be handed over. Nevertheless, the love-built relationship brings a reliable parameter for the persons involved; a frame of reference.

This thought gives to us understanding of the battle that every Christian must face. It’s a battle against their soul, mind, heart, value system, will. It’s an attempt to train our experience toward wrong values, toward doubting my new values, toward following people and ideas which promote straying. Value systems are continually subject to change, but it takes several repetitions to create new habits. The enabled free volition is hammered at. We may have isolated failures.

The enemy has a long term plan to try to get us to build habits that kill our brokenness. Whether we are in a process of breaking or already broken, we will be tempted to disagree with God’s procedure. For this cause we must spend time in the presence of God. Asaph in Psalm 73 went into the sanctuary of God and knew the end of the wicked that prospered. He found that they stood in slippery places. God revealed this to him as he drew near.

The Spirit of God strengthens us for the skirmishes and battles. To be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might includes ability to quietly affirm truth and with it resist the devil. We must be strengthened in our discernment and in our resolve. We must take sides against ourselves at times to do right and build or rebuild a godly value system. We must take a stand for truth. We grow always in intimacy with our Savior.

The breastplate of our armor stands against any attack on our righteous gift and identity. The helmet resists attacks on salvation. Truth girt on the loins resists lies with its discernment; the shield of faith quenches fiery darts. My feet prepare the heart daily to take the gospel to others in peace. My sword is offensive toward all strategies to hinder and destroy.

In summary, God begins His good work in us and our God-given humility and meekness cooperate until they become second nature. We realize that resolve is being built-in through humility to keep us in mental cooperation. As we continue to abide, we start knowing the truth in our mind. It sets us free till we see the Son who makes us free indeed. Now, we stand in our liberty from self and self’s absorbents, and resist their entangled yoke of bondage. The plan of God pushes us forward in a momentum and God-consciousness grows deeper. The intimacy increases the ability for our will to resist any other propositions. We caste down imaginations and high things; we bring our thoughts unto the obedience of Christ. We are strong.

Finally, we should reflect on everything that our new consciousness of love births, effects, and changes in its many variations. Love is “who God is;” His very nature. Love never fails. Proverbs 10:12 says “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Wow, God’s nature hides my shortcomings, sins, failures, transgressions, and iniquities? Yes, and blots them out from his memory, in Isaiah 43:25, as we perceive His love because He laid down His life for us. Love casts out all fear. Love never fails, is kind, not puffed up, not partial, believes all things, hopes all things. Much more awaits the broken saint. He gets sweeter and sweeter as the day goes by. Thanks, Lord; even for the trials! Love ya.

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