Arthur is often remembered for the truths he shared in an inspired short statement. Wherever he travelled and ministered, he was well known for handing out brightly coloured cards with these challenging words on. One of these cards depicted an image of Humpty Dumpty, the egg that sat on a wall in the children’s nursery rhyme. Many of us grew up chanting the childhood rhyme:“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall etc.” Arthur would add: “If he had remembered that he was only an egg he would not have sat up so high on the wall!”

Paul warned, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”, 1 Corinthians 10:12 Consider dizziness. A person suffers it and loses their balance when “they cease to listen!”…….and then, like Humpty Dumpty, they fall. In retrospect, the Holy Spirit may show us where we ran ahead of God, did something in our own strength, performed with a wrong motive, tried to please men instead of God, tried to obtain self glory, ate from the wrong tree (Genesis 3), judged others….the list can be endless, but we ceased to listen to the still small voice”. We can make all kinds of excuses in self-pity or condemnation but the blunt truth of God’s word nails me : Pride comes before a fall! Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”.

Our Heavenly Father always provides us with a remedy. The antidote to pride is humility. 1 Peter 5: 5-6 instructs: “….be subject one to another and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”

When I embrace humility and bow to God, the Holy Spirit cannot resist it in me. He has a divine affinity to humility for it is the very nature of the Son. As I bow, He comes along side of my choice and empowers me to live this Christian life. Here I discover the power of Another, living His resurrected life through me – Christ in me, the hope of glory – all praise to Jesus!

Humility is not weakness, but divine strength. Our beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ, chose to leave the glories of heaven and become the Son of Man, embodied in human flesh to redeem a sin-sick world. God’s unconditional love for mankind created a plan of redemption. John 3:16 reveals the heart of God pulsating with His divine love for mankind :”For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Here, we find, the heart of the eternal, Christmas message – the heart of God laid bare, …for God so loved the world!

Let every heart prepare Him room…. (from the carol: Joy to the world) If I make this choice daily, I will not rise to dizzy heights and fall. LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM!