Psalm 75:6–7: “For exaltation comes neither from the east / Nor from the west nor from the south. / But God is the Judge: / He puts down one, / And exalts another.”

March 21st, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Since God is in the business of building character in His children, promotion in His kingdom does not come from our own man-made efforts. God is the only one who puts down one and raises another. Although we humans often miss it, authentic promotion is God-orchestrated. We error when we think promotion comes because of academic accomplishment or seniority, because of our boss or who we know, or because of what we do instead of what we are becoming. As we read these verses carefully, it becomes clear that we are not to initiate promotion for ourselves, but rather God is the one who initiates it in our lives.

Promotion comes when we bloom in the place God has planted us, when we rejoice in another person’s advancement, and finally when our character has been developed and proven stable and reliable. One of the measurements of spiritual maturity is the length of time we as individuals are willing to wait between the promise and the fulfillment of a ministry. Moses for example waited 40 years; Abraham, Joseph, and David waited more than 20 years before they saw their promised service realized. By making us wait, God is killing our own self-enhanced vision of service and installing His. If we will simply wait patiently, then our heavenly Father will use our life experiences to shape and better focus the message inside of us, which we can then impart into other people’s lives.

“LORD, we wait on You to move as You see fit, if and when You desire to.”

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Psalms 75 KJV

¹ Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for thatthy name is near thy wondrous works declare.  

² When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 

³ The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.

⁴ I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn:

⁵ Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

⁶ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 

⁷ But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

⁸ For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them .

⁹ But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰ All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.