WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
APRIL 25, 2024
TOPIC: ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
BY T. O. BANSO.
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2 New International Version).
No matter how successful you are, never forget your humble beginnings. Always remember where you were. You should remember when you were struggling, when you were nobody, or when you couldn’t rent a house but somebody accommodated you. Remember also when you had no job, car, wife, or children. In addition, remember when you had none of the things that have now become a normal part of your life, things you now take for granted.
Many people don’t always remember their humble beginnings – their days of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). They don’t remember their past. Therefore, they sometimes misbehave. They mistreat those who are going through what they have overcome. They are proud and give the wrong impression that things have always been the way they are now for them – they have always been rich, including having cars; they have always been Chief Executives and never employees; they have always been landlords, never tenants, etc.
If you don’t remember your humble beginnings, you may become proud and dig your own grave. Your lack of appreciation of people and your arrogance may set you against God and set God against you because if you do not remember your humble beginnings, you will not ascribe to God the glory due to Him. You will not give to God the gratitude He should continually receive for lifting you or for the divine turnaround you have experienced. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2 New International Version). GOD’S WORD Translation puts it this way: “Praise the Lord, my soul, and never forget all the good he has done.” You may provoke the anger of God for not giving Him the credit due to Him or mistreating others. God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble (James 4:6b; 1 Peter 5:5b).
Don’t forget when you were struggling in the ministry, business, or career. Also, don’t forget, probably, when it was difficult for you to feed. You should remember when you were trusting God for a child in your marriage. Things have since changed but never forget what God did for you. Remember your humble beginnings and continually humble yourself. Don’t look down on others who are not yet at your current level. Don’t despise those praying to God for what you used to lack but you now have. “God is mighty, but despises no one” (Job 36:5a New International Version). Don’t make it look as if you are where you are now because you’re better, wiser, holier, or more righteous or prayerful than they are.
Don’t despise the small beginnings of others (Zechariah 4:10). You also started small. Nobody was born a giant. Even the biggest animal on earth was not born like that but grew to its present size. Your success should encourage others, as you remember your humble beginnings; you shouldn’t discourage or humiliate them with your words and behaviour. Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Remember that there was a time when you lacked some of the things they currently lack. Remember that you were once where they are now. God who did it for you is still alive to change their story too.
Always remember where you started – your yesterday. God always reminded the children of Israel that He brought them out of Egypt – they were once slaves. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2 New King James Version). If God had not brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a mighty power, they all would have perished there.
God always wanted them to remember that they were once strangers and, therefore, should treat strangers well. “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21 New King James Version). Exodus 23:9, Leviticus 19:33-34, and Deuteronomy 10:19 say a similar thing. To oppress the strangers in their land would be tantamount to behaving like the Pharaoh who oppressed them in Egypt.
During the Prophet Samuel’s conversation with King Saul, after he had disobeyed God’s command to go and destroy the Amalekites, Samuel reminded him of his past when he didn’t consider himself fit to be king, but God anointed him king. “Samuel said, ‘Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” (1 Samuel 15:17-19 New International Version).
Saul should have remembered his humble beginnings and not have disobeyed God’s command. During his first encounter with Samuel during which he told him that he would become Israel’s king, Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 New King James Version). He considered himself so insignificant that all the desire of Israel would be on him and all his father’s house, as Samuel had said.
Also, during the public choice of a king for Israel, Saul could not be found after he had been chosen as king from his family. An enquiry from the Lord revealed that he had gone to hide among the equipment or baggage. He was brought out from there and was proclaimed as king (1 Samuel 10:20-24). Saul should have remembered his past and obeyed God’s command.
Consequently, he lost his throne. God, who anointed him as king, also anointed someone else, David, to replace him although he didn’t begin to reign immediately. “Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind’” (verses 28-29 New International Version).
Remember your humble beginnings and behave well before God and man. When the Prophet Nathan went to confront David about his adultery with Bathsheba, God, through Nathan, reminded him of his past before he became king. “Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9 New King James Version).
David abused his position as king and Nathan announced his punishment. Although he repented and God forgave him, he still suffered the consequences (verses 10-14). Remembering where God took you from – your small beginnings – will help you to humble yourselves and be careful what you do and say. If David had not done what he did, he and his family would not have experienced all the crises that followed that incident.
Always remember your humble beginnings, be grateful to God, and be humble. Don’t be carried away by your success. There is nothing you have that you did not receive; therefore, there is nothing to boast about (1 Corinthians 4:7). Rather be grateful and humble. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2 New International Version). Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up (James 4:10). Remember your humble beginnings.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I thank you for Your faithfulness in my journey in life. Thank You for my days of small beginnings and for the increase and promotion I have experienced. Father, hear the cries of those who are calling on You day and night, answer them, and wipe away their tears. Prosper the small beginnings of everyone crying to you.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
