In the Word: He Humbled Himself

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be narrowing in on specific truths of the gospel to learn how they direct and inform us in our grief. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God’s Word each week with us! 

And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8

READ:

As people, we might set ourselves up to be like God by believing we don’t need Him very much, to be on par with God by determining for ourselves what is the right path for our lives, or to be owed a bit of the glory ourselves alongside of God—or owed at least what we consider a decent or fine life.

A heart for children is a wonderful thing; and our souls lay bare when wonderful desires go unmet. We have been handed something, by any standards, indescribably painful—to outlive our own child, to perhaps never really have met him or her, to maybe watch him or her suffer, to see him or her under the cloak of death. Our grace is that God desired that death not have the last word over the human race. And He had a plan; He’s always had a plan.

That’s why God, in creating this world, was Father who would send His Son to be born to die at the hand of men. He is a God who, because of the love with which He loved us (Ephesians 2:4), decreed for Himself, as the divine Trinity, the death that brings us this sorrow, and worse. And He has glorified Himself by making His character known through His sacrificial Son (Ephesians 1:5-6; Hebrews 1:3).

There is a divine Baby who had death written all over Him before He was conceived, born, and lived through His first birthday. He humbled Himself—this One to whom all glory is due forever.

So when I look, in my memory, to my lifeless daughter, I also recall the God of all glory who gave up the splendor of heaven to come—not because He owed it to me, a seeker of self-glory. I have always owed Him all. How blessed are we, when thinking of our babies gone from earth so soon, to also think of the One hanging on the cross so that He could have authority to forgive sins and eternally pardon seekers of self-glory so that we could be with Him always.

I hardly understand it, this God of glory and of humility; I scarcely can. But the mere hint I see makes me know that this God is worthy of my whole life, and He is impeccable and exquisite and glorious and more.

REFLECT:

• In what ways do we see the humility of Christ on display in Scripture?
• How does this truth encourage you to live for Him even in the midst of grief?
• Read Isaiah 53:7. What does this verse teach us about the humility of Christ?