Spurgeon: April PM
* 04/05/PM
"Before honour is humility."
--Proverbs 15:33
Humiliation of soul always brings a positive blessing with
it . If we empty our hearts of self God will fill them with His
love. He who desires close communion with Christ should remember
the word of the Lord, "To this man will I look, even to him that
is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word."
Stoop if you would climb to heaven. Do we not say of Jesus, "He
descended that He might ascend"? so must you. You must grow
downwards, that you may grow upwards; for the sweetest
fellowship with heaven is to be had by humble souls, and by them
alone. God will deny no blessing to a thoroughly humbled spirit.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven," with all its riches and treasures. The whole exchequer
of God shall be made over by deed of gift to the soul which is
humble enough to be able to receive it without growing proud
because of it. God blesses us all up to the full measure and
extremity of what it is safe for Him to do. If you do not get a
blessing, it is because it is not safe for you to have one. If
our heavenly Father were to let your unhumbled spirit win a
victory in His holy war, you would pilfer the crown for
yourself, and meeting with a fresh enemy you would fall a
victim; so that you are kept low for your own safety. When a man
is sincerely humble, and never ventures to touch so much as a
grain of the praise, there is scarcely any limit to what God
will do for him. Humility makes us ready to be blessed by the
God of all grace, and fits us to deal efficiently with our
fellow men. True humility is a flower which will adorn any
garden. This is a sauce with which you may season every dish of
life, and you will find an improvement in every case. Whether it
be prayer or praise, whether it be work or suffering, the
genuine salt of humility cannot be used in excess.