There exists a supreme pool of wisdom, power, and knowledge from which every human draws out samples. Each human has an innate knowledge of the existence of this pool and begins early in life craving that pool all for himself…at least the portion of it that he is sure belongs to him.
As he grows, he becomes increasingly stimulated to get credit for things in the pool in various ways. Some of it belongs to him, and so he should have it.
Then he learns a shocking fact: everything in the pool is already allocated to Someone else!
As recorded in the absolute record of God’s Word:
“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:11
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11
Then he learns: all his selfish efforts to become important and live for his own pleasure are acts of theft! He is stealing value from God when he assesses himself to be valuable. He is stealing worth from God when he has an expectation of being treated with high regard by others. It is God, not himself, that is to be honored, known, and pleased.
The greatness all washes away from his heart as he sees God high and lifted up and, like Isaiah, instead of being deserving, he finds himself undeserving, without an ounce of all his prior worthiness.
Yet, because God owns the total reality of this pool of greatness, He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and ready to forgive, as being truly great. And so, He makes His grace available to all, even to His abusers, but, especially, He gives grace to those whose hearts are devoid of their own worthiness and greatness, to those who see that it all belongs to Him…the ones He calls “humble.”
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” – 1Pet. 5:6-7
Biblical Return 