July 28

Bow Down; Be Lifted Up

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. — 1 Pet 5:6 BSB

This is like a promise: if we humble ourselves, the Lord will lift us up. Humility leads to honor. Submission is the path to exaltation. The same hand that presses us down will lift us up when we are ready to bear the blessing. We stoop to conquer. Many try to gain favor by pleasing others, but fail. However, the one who humbles himself under God’s mighty hand will be sustained, enriched, and uplifted. Jehovah delights in humbling the proud and raising the lowly.

There is a time for the Lord to lift us up, but it will come "in due time," as He sees fit. Our duty is to humble ourselves, even now. Whether or not the Lord afflicts us, we must continue to submit humbly. When He disciplines us, we must accept it with submission. But His exaltation of us will only come at the right moment, which God alone knows. Do we cry out impatiently for honor? If so, we are not truly humbled. Let us wait with quiet submission.