For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.
-Psalm 149:4 (ESV)
It Really Stands Out
Growing up, if someone had a truck that had leather seats, power windows, a lift kit, mud tires and a grill guard, we would say that that truck was “all decked out.”
Every December, we put lights and ornaments and tinsel on evergreen trees as we decorate them for the Christmas season.
“Adorn” is not a word that is used very much in our day-to-day conversations, but it carries the idea of “decking something out” or “decorating.” To adorn means to make something stand out as attractive by adding something to it.
When God created humans, He made us in His very image (Genesis 1:27). This is the adorning that every human being has received. This one thing makes humanity stand out among the rest of creation; we are marked by the magnificent likeness of God Himself.
In Genesis 37, it mentions that Jacob had a special love for his youngest son Joseph and so Jacob made Joseph a special coat. This was Joseph’s “adorning.” Joseph stood out among his brothers because the special love of his father was something that could be plainly seen by the coat that he had been given.
Let's Consider Humility
Humility is produced when I compare myself to the Lord, instead of to other people. God remembers that I am dust (Psalm 103:14). That is, He remembers that when He created mankind, He made us out of dirt (Genesis 2:7); then after we die and our bodies decay, our bodies will turn back into dirt (Ecclesiastes 3:20). When we honestly consider this, it is impossible to think too highly of ourselves. He is the Eternal and Almighty Creator and Sustainer of all, and we are dust. Humility is most clearly recognized in the character of Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…” (Philippians 2:6-7).
And how do we practice humility? Well, the apostle Paul says that we consider others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). That is, we think of the wants that other people have, we think of the needs that other people have, and we prioritize their wants and needs above our own; you know, similar to the way servants treat masters.
God Adorns the Humble with Salvation
Grace is for the humble (James 4:6). And by grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). This means that the humble are saved. That is, salvation is for those who remember who they are compared to God. Salvation is for me when I remember that He is in charge and I am not; that He is strong and I am not; that He is pure and I am not; that He is the judge and I am not; that He is the Savior of sinners and that I am desperately in need of Him.
There is a George Strait song called, “You Look So Good in Love.” God’s Word says that the humble look so good in salvation. The salvation of our Jesus makes our lives attractive to others. What salvation does to our lives makes us stand out in the world (Philippians 2:15). The love of our Heavenly Father is plainly seen by the salvation that we have been given. The fruit of the Spirit, the joy of salvation, the wisdom of God, the hope of eternal life, the brave patience in the midst of suffering, this is your adorning. Let the world see it and let God get all the credit, remembering that you and I are only dust.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. -Psalm 149:4 (ESV)
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