A Word with Dr. D. Roy 5-16-2025

Today’s Verse

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
— James 4:10 (NIV)

Devotion

James 4 provides a sobering reflection on the internal struggles among believers in the Church. He highlights that these conflicts arise from selfish desires waging war within us (James 4:1). Instead of seeking God’s provision with sincere hearts, believers were consumed by envy, leading them to fight rather than ask (James 4:2). Even when they did pray, their motives were misaligned—focused on selfish pleasure rather than God’s will (James 4:3).

Though they professed faith in Christ, their actions mirrored the world. James describes them as spiritual adulterers, reminding them that though they were committed to Christ, their affections were still entangled with worldly pursuits.

At the heart of this turmoil was pride—an unwillingness to submit fully to God. James reinforces that God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6, quoting Proverbs 3:34). Pride disrupts unity, undermines order, and distances us from God’s presence.

These same struggles persist in today’s Church. Pride continues to sow division, and God continues to oppose the proud while extending grace to those who humbly seek Him. The solution remains unchanged:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

True humility calls for genuine repentance, a renewal of devotion to God, and an earnest desire to follow His ways rather than our own. When we surrender in humility, God Himself will lift us up—not by our strength, but by His grace (James 4:10).

Let us choose humility over pride, seeking God’s will above our own. When we bow before Him, He promises to raise us up—not for our glory, but for His purpose.