We were traveling over a bridge the other day and I commented on the beauty of the river as we passed over it. Much to my surprise, we immediately crossed over a second river while on the same bridge. My husband quickly explained that those were two branches of the same river and just down the road they became one.

God has been teaching me in two very specific areas recently. I thought they were two separate rivers, but as I’ve followed them, I’ve discovered that they are actually two branches of the same river as God has shown me the wonderful connection between these two truths.

The first branch is that of fearing God. My last blog makes reference to that – the importance of remembering that God is so far beyond us that our response must be one of reverence and awe when we approach Him.

The other branch of the river has come through re-reading Andrew Murray’s book on humility. He continually stresses the importance of our nothingness so that God can be all. The book has made me long for the reality of this in my own life. Humility is not just a posture that I choose to take, but rather my rightful place before God and people.

As I’ve been responding to God’s teaching in these areas, He has brought the two together into one great flowing stream. Humility is the only appropriate response to who God is – to His greatness, His overwhelming and indescribable purity and holiness, and to His Sovereign authority over all of creation. It’s not because I’m nothing that I should display humility, but because God is everything! The joy is that humility moves me out of the way so that God can be seen in all His greatness and glory.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)