Luke 14:11

"... whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The drive to exalt myself is a formidable force, one surely to be reckoned with. I can almost see myself in Goliath, pridefully marching, sauntering down the hillside thinking the army ahead is but a sorry and puny excuse of an opposition. "Who do they think they are?" The subtlety of self exultation is dangerously damning. The antithesis is assured unless corrected by the Almighty.

I have seen the Prince, and I know the King. How dare anyone presume upon them and position themselves in places of statehood when a prostrate posture is required. (cf. Proverbs 25:6-7) Such attitudes are often mindless, forgetting what faces me, and only subconsciously and erroneously positioning myself above rather than below. The ambitious guest in Jesus' parable (cf. Luke 14:7-11) makes a fatal mistake because his actions are irrevocably and irreversibly sentencing for days on end. Now that I know the King and the Prince, His forgiveness and forbearance are inexhaustible, but this does not permit the impermissible. Apart from the welcoming pardon of His omnipotence, all who pridefully enter His presence will face a dooming judgment.

For me I must consciously and deliberately choose this day to humble myself in the sight of the Lord. My laughter over sin must turn to mourning, and my joy over iniquity must turn to gloom. Those are times for lamentation, weeping and mourning. (cf. James 4:9-10) Few can understand; "Come on, get over it. He understands." So they say. Yes, but I drove my Jesus to the cross. Now, in humility, and only in humility can I be lifted up and exalted. Now, in my lowly estate can mourning be turned to laughter, and my sorrow to joy. In this I rejoice, and in my rejoicing seek the humble estate I am as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death before the eyes of the King. Paradoxically, I am as peaceful, happy, joyful and fulfilled as I ever was, but only as long as I lay myself barren before Him.

Be exalted, O' God, in all the earth.