“Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble” (Ps 10:12). Humility brings vulnerability; but it also brings victory, since “the Lord lifts up the humble” (147:6).
Before being called to India, William Carey was trained as a cobbler. But how did the Lord use him in the work? Robert Linder writes: “Carey translated the entire Bible into six different languages. The New Testament was translated and printed in 23 others, whereas portions of the Bible were translated and distributed in many dialects. More than 213,000 copies of Scriptures in 40 different languages and dialects issued from the Serampore presses during Carey’s lifetime.”
William Carey was as known for his humility as for his prodigious work for the Lord. In 1813, when told his work had been lauded on the floor of the British House of Commons, he responded, “I wish people would let me die before they praise me.”
Lord, teach us that humility is essential for usefulness in Your service.