Humility leads to honor

SUMMARY: Humility leads to honor and submission is the way to exaltation. We must humble ourselves before God and accept His punishment with deep submission. Our exaltation can only come when the time is right, and we must wait in quiet submission for it.

This is equivalent to a promise: if we bow down, the Lord will lift us up. Humility leads to honor: submission is the way to exaltation. The same hand of God that pulls us down is waiting to lift us up when we are ready to receive the blessing. We crouch down to win. Many lower themselves before men, and yet they do not receive the protection they crave; But he who humbles himself under the hand of God will not cease to be enriched, exalted, sustained and consoled by the always gracious God. It is Jehovah's habit to bring down the haughty and exalt the humbled. However, there is a time for the Lord's work.

We must humble ourselves now, even at this very moment; and we are obligated to continue to do so, whether the Lord places His hand on us that causes distress or not. When the Lord hurts, it is our special duty to accept the punishment with deep submission. But as for our exaltation from the Lord, that can only come "when the time is," and God is the best judge of that day and hour. Do we cry out impatiently for the blessing? Would we wish for an untimely honor? What do we want? Surely we have not truly humiliated ourselves, otherwise we would wait in quiet submission. Then let's do it.

Source: The Bank of Faith Checkbook. Translation by Allan Roman.

http://www.spurgeon.com.mx/chequera/meditames/julio.pdf