Evening, April 5

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"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.