It is God who lifts up: Psalm 75-Supplication through the Scriptures

It is God Who Lifts Up

Psalm 75

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter‬ ‭5:5-6‬). The striking part of these verses to consider is, do I want God’s mighty hand for me or against me?

Peter is clear: God opposes the proud. The word ‘opposes’ is a battle term and means to set an array against, and an array is the strategic arrangement of fighters and weapons in battle. However, clothing ourselves with humility and humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand will lead to Him giving us His grace. Do I want the King of kings standing in opposition to me because of my arrogance, or do I want His grace given more abundantly and His mighty hand working on my behalf? The answer is obvious, but I must also be obedient to the command to clothe myself in humility. I must have a correct estimation of myself and not think too highly of myself.

From Psalm 75, I see five ways we can pursue a humble heart before the Lord.

1. Give thanks to Him. “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds” (75:1). A humble heart recognizes the good gifts our Father gives to us. How many of us have more than we need? We are blessed beyond measure with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and on top of that He gives us relational, material, and physical blessings. Sometimes His gifts may be wrapped in a painful package, but a humble heart is thankful to the Lord for His wondrous deeds and how He deals bountifully with His servant, even in and through His loving discipline.

2. Submit to His timing and will. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity” (75:2). This seems to be a reoccurring theme in the Psalms and many parts of Scripture. Even Peter in the verses above said that we should humble ourselves under God’s hand so that at the proper time He would exalt us. I wonder if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were inwardly longing for God to deliver them before they were thrown in the fiery furnace? Or Daniel looking for God’s deliverance a different way than through a night in the pit with lions? I can think of a few times in my life where I wanted God to do something long before He did. But He has a set time which He appoints for everything. A humble heart reminds itself of that and submits to it.

3. Do not boast. “I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’” (75:4). Everything we have is a gift from God. The family we have, the talents and abilities, the job, the opportunities, everything is a gift graciously given to us. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians, he rebuked them for being proud of how spiritually gifted they were. “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). We cannot boast. Our very life and breath are gifts to us. A humble heart will not boast but instead will acknowledge all we have and are has been received from the Lord.

4. Do not murmur against the judgments of the Lord. “But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another”(75:7). Who are we to argue against the decision of the Lord? There is no man who can prevent the Lord from doing His will, and there is none who can call Him into question for how He deals with each one of us. We can, of course, bring our hurt and confusion to Him, but a humble heart will not accuse God of wrongdoing or injustice. A humble heart knows the ways of the Lord are always right and true, and the Judge of all the Earth cannot do wrong.

5. Sing His praises. “But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob” (75:9). Throughout this Psalm, the psalmist has told us the praiseworthy deeds and attributes of the Lord. His name is near (v1). He judges with equity (v2). He keeps the pillars of the earth steady (v3). He puts down one and lifts up another (v7). He pours out His justice on the wicked (v8). He distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked (v10). These are all things that we, too, can praise Him for, and countless more besides.

Today, we need to clothe ourselves with humility. We must put on the garment of thanksgiving, submission to His timing and will, reject any boasting in ourselves, stop complaining, and give Him the praise He is due. When we do those things, we know that He will give His grace, and He will be for us and not against us.

Let’s pray through Psalm 75, coming to the Lord our God with a humble heart.

We Give Thanks

75:1-5 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’”

Let’s pray:

▫️We give thanks to You, Lord, for the wondrous deeds You have performed on our behalf. We thank You for the ways You have worked differently than we expected, and the times You answered our prayers in the way we desired. Thank Him for one way He has shown Himself wonderful to you recently.

▫️Lord, we ask for humble hearts to submit our will to Your timing. You have an appointed time for everything that happens, even the minutest details. Is there a situation you are struggling to trust God’s timing?

▫️You uphold the whole earth by Your powerful word and keep its pillars steady. Help us to trust You with our situations that seem complex and difficult. Nothing is too difficult for the God who upholds the universe.

▫️Keep back our lips from speaking haughtily or boasting. Help us to clothe ourselves with humility under Your hand and toward one another. Is there someone you need to respond to with humility rather than pride?

God Executes Judgment

75:6-8 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

Let’s pray:

▫️Lord, help us to humbly trust Your judgments. When we wish there had been a different answer to our prayers, help us to look to You and trust how You have ordained our circumstances.

▫️We rest in Your righteous judgment, knowing that the wicked will receive justice in Your timing and in Your way. Rouse Yourself for us, O Lord.

▫️Help us to obey You and follow Christ’s example and clothe ourselves with humility. We want to live in such a way that others feel loved and that their interests concern us.

Sing Praise

75:9-10 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Let’s pray:

▫️All praise goes to You, Lord, for any humility we display, because left to ourselves we would continue on in pride and selfishness. May our lives bring increased praise and honor to Your name.

▫️You will lift up the righteous and those who have humbled themselves under Your mighty hand. Keep that truth present in our minds today to help us fight the battle against pride and boasting.

‭May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Photo credit to evitka.

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