For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
Psalms 138:6 (ESV)
but the haughty he knows from afar.
In January 1936 England’s King George V died and his son Edward the Duke of Windsor was proclaimed king of England. Unknown to the public, he had become romantically involved with an American woman named Willis Warfield Simpson. She had already been divorced from an American Navy pilot and was in the process of separating from her husband Ernest Simpson, an American businessman. When she filed for divorce later in 1936 with the intent of marrying King Edward the news hit the British press which scandalized the British public. The press, the public, the Church of England and most politicians opposed the marriage. A twice-divorced American commoner was not a proper Queen for England. Edward tried to find a way to appease the public but could not succeed. On December 10, 1936, he abdicated his throne and married the American on June 3rd, 1937.
Think of yourself as Willis Warfield Simpson. You have a checkered past and an entire nation thinks you are unqualified to be with someone as honorable and lofty as the king of England. And yet, because he loves you so much he is willing to sacrifice all his royal privileges and his reputation to be with you. Now magnify the gap between yourself and the king by a thousand and you can start to get the idea of how far down God must reach to be with you. He is the creator of the universe, infinitely powerful and wise, perfectly holy and loving, and yet he died a torturous death so that he could love you for all eternity.
He only asks us to renounce pride and admit that we are lowly and need him. This you have done, and that is why he “regards” you. You may be the least honored person in the office or among your relatives but God regards you highly. He lifts up the humble and puts down the proud. In this age God puts this honor in our hearts and the prideful cannot participate. In the next age he will complete the process and glorify his people and judge the proud.
Do you think of yourself as honored by God? Can you accept the encouragement that he is giving to you?
