We can humble our souls before the Lord ever so low; right down to the lowest "estate" (cf. Luke 1:48, regarding the virgin Mary); but the Lord will not leave us there.
In Mary's case, as soon as she had confessed her "low estate," the Lord raised her up ("He [the Lord] hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden") and He will "regard" our "low estate" whoever we are and wherever we are, and will raise us up.
"Before honour is humility" (Proverbs 18:12).
That means that whatever soul, unworthy or not, humbles himself before the Lord, the Lord will go to work to "honor" him/her.
The Lord's job is not to push people down into the dust, to humiliate them, to walk over them--He does not do that kind of work; He does the opposite. His job is to lift people up, to honor them, not push them down.
The Lord lifts you up all your life; our job is to BELIEVE the truth of His character--believe that He is our Friend, that He is on our side, that He will lift us up every day of our lives.
But never will He lift us up only to throw us down again. The Psalmist in his agony felt that the Lord had done that to him: "Because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath ... Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down" (Psalm 102:10).
The text does not indicate that the Lord had actually done that to the Psalmist; but it seemed that way to him.
It may seem that way to you: that the Lord has lifted you up only to throw you down again. And the higher He has lifted us, the greater is the pain when He throws us down!
But look carefully: that is not what the Lord does. He does not seek to wound us, ever; but in our human, mortal state of unbelief and darkness, that is the way it seems to us sometimes.
Read the rest of the Psalm: "the Lord will regard the prayer of the destitute, and NOT despise their prayer"! (vs. 17). "He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death" (vss.19, 20).
Yes, Good News!
Believe it with all your heart.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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