humble pie
"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." —Matthew 23:12
Ruth humbled herself. By staying with Naomi, she jeopardized her chances for marriage and put herself into poverty. She was reduced to gleaning leftovers missed by the harvesters (Ru 2:3). This was a dangerous job in which she exposed herself to the potential harassment and violence of the young men (Ru 2:9).
Ruth humbled herself, and as the Lord promised, He exalted her. She was rescued and married by Boaz, the prominent owner of the fields. She gave birth to Obed, "the father of Jesse, the father of David" (Ru 4:17). Ruth was exalted as great-grandmother of King David, the ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God and King of kings (Mt 1:16).
The Lord desires to exalt you and your family. You must, however, go to the end of the line so He can call you to come up higher (Lk 14:10; Prv 25:6-7). You must choose to be the servant of all to become the greatest of all (Mt 23:11). Choose the humility of the cross, and He will raise you to the glory of the resurrection.
Prayer: Father, may I humble myself by cutting back on my life-style.
Promise: "Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways!" —Ps 128:1
Praise: St. Bernard was known as Doctor Mellifluus (sweet-flowing) because of his excellent teachings. He had the gift of healing people by tracing the sign of the cross upon them.
Reference: (Choose the humility of the cross by reading the Bible every day. We have several tape series that may help you. Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. 15-minute Bible Teaching - New Testament is 40 audio tapes starting with #700. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is 32 audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or 17 video tapes starting with V-21.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 8, 2005
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