Cultivating the Character of the King.

Look down the long halls of History and you’ll see arrogance has been the Achilles heel of every bad King or Queen to ever sit on a throne.  Now, in complete contrast to this, look back to the history of Israel and the life of its chief legislator.  Moses was one of the greatest men, greatest leaders, greatest generals, greatest geniuses, to ever walk the Earth.  He wasn’t just a good King, he was a great one.  This is the divine commentary on him: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the Earth” {Num. 12:3}.  “The face of the Earth”?  Wow.  What about King David?  There were numerous times when David could have seized the throne from Saul, two when he could’ve killed him himself, and it would’ve been within his rights to do so.  But he doesn’t.  He waits on the timing of God!  He humbles himself.

This is the picture of a noble heart, of the Kings and Queens made in the image of their mighty God choosing humility over arrogance, others overs self, in the very circumstances we find it hardest to do so.  The Truth is we either choose to live with humility of heart, choose it for ourselves as a way of life in a self-absorbed world or ...our Father will arrange to have it chosen for us.  I’m not going to speak for you, but I’d much rather humble myself so that Abba may one day exalt me; rather than the other way around.  I think anyone with even an ounce of wisdom would!

Every time in your life you make a choice {and it’s always a choice} to put others before self, to serve rather than be served, to humble yourself and let Abba do the exalting, to keep your mouth shut rather than ‘fight to be right,’ you cultivate the character of the King.  Your character evolves... and you move one step closer to becoming the man or woman you were meant to be, to the image Jesus had in mind when He breathed into you His Life!

Consider how compasses operate, and how a slight change of one or two degrees can navigate you to a radically different place.  This is the illustration Dr. Greitens used when he spoke to those of us present at Harding University of the importance of allowing our character to evolve in the moment by being willing to do the hard thing right in front of us.  Small or large, to do the hard thing now forges character; it shapes who we are; and it leads to perseverance.  And if there is one thing you will need in a fallen world, in this world in this New Year, it’s perseverance— the ability to endure.  May Abba bestow it abundantly upon His Children!

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296 | hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – where the Word and the Spirit are one.