Sep-09-0508-Promotion comes only from God
508_Promotion comes only from God Psalm 75 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8 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. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. While Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States, a certain man came to him asking for a political appointment. The man spoke at length about his qualifications and his experience. When he was done, Lincoln quietly responded, “I will see what I can do, but remember this: it is not I who give promotion, nor the cabinet, nor even the people—it is God.” Whether in the corridors of power or in the ordinary course of life, people strive for recognition, advancement, and honor. Yet the Bible repeatedly reminds us that only God can confer true promotion - not human effort, manipulation, or influence. Psalm 75 begins with thanksgiving: “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” It begins with thanksgiving to God. This is always the right place to begin. For unless we lift our eyes to the One who is above all, we will fall into the trap of comparing ourselves with others or striving in our own strength. The psalmist knew that Israel’s God was awesome in majesty, clothed in light unapproachable, and mighty in His wondrous deeds. Yet, high and exalted as he is, He was near to the lowly among His people. Isaiah 57:15 declares: “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Psalm 138:6 echoes this truth: “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.” Psalm 75 reminds us that in a world filled with injustice, unrighteousness, and power struggles, as verse 2 says, “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” God has fixed a