TENDER & HUMBLE
READ: Nehemiah 9:5-26
But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments. :- Nehemiah 9:16
A novice stops learning as soon as he can. The more experienced you are, the more you will desire to continue learning. Today, after thirty years of ministry, I so desire to find a book that will bless me. I so desire to find time to read my Bible and get blessed one more time. A novice on the other hand thinks to himself, “I have heard that already! I have read that book already!”
A novice thinks to himself, “I know what he is going to say. I know what he talks about.” A novice says, “I understand, I understand” but does not really understand.
It is important that you humble yourself before the word of God. It is important to have a tender heart so that you are meek and lowly before any preaching, any teaching and any book that God wants to bring your way.
Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before god, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.
2 Chronicles 34:27
Notice in the scripture above that your heart must be tender and humble when you hear the word of God. You should not say things like: “I know this message”, “I know him”, “I have heard that before”, “This is the same as the last message – he has just changed the title”, “We know his topics: it is either shepherding or loyalty.” Such statements reveal the pride of a novice. Decide to be one of the humble servants of the Lord.