#Humility

"You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."  Deuteronomy 8:2

This verse states that God is in the humbling business. It also explains why. The that tells why. He was testing these people in order to check out if the humbling had worked to change the hearts of this people He had saved out of slavery. He was testing them to see what was in their hearts. He already knew what was in their hearts. He wanted THEM to see what was in their hearts. The verses following go on to remind them that He had let them go hungry in order to provide the miraculous manna from heaven. This little miracle was to impress upon them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from their God.

He continued on encouraging them to not forget all that He had done for them when they became prosperous. He warned them that He would discipline them, if they did forget, as a father disciplines a son he loves, because they would not remember to listen to the voice of their Lord.

God is in the humbling business, but He does not humiliate. That, you can do for yourself. We always have a choice in the matter. We can humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God or not. We can take the 'going hungry for anything' understanding that God is involved for a good reason or we can resent it and stand proud, resisting.

Pride goes before a fall is said in Proverbs 16:18 and in Proverbs 15:31-33 the opposite truth is mentioned. "He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding....and before honor comes humility."

Be mentally prepared for the testing. It will come. Accept it. Submit to it. Adjust to it.Learn from it. Remember it. Benefit from it.