Proverbs 22 tells us, “By humility come riches, and honour, and life.”  By the fear of the Lord come riches and honor and life.  From obedience to the Word of God come riches and honor in life.  So, there’s a lawful way to advance, to receive the full covenant blessings of God.  Humility does not mean that we abstain from prosperity, from abundance; we don’t shy away from advancement.  But let’s advance the way Daniel advanced.  Let’s advance the way Joseph advanced; amen?  Let’s advance supernaturally.  Let God be the one that places us in those positions because of these very biblical principles that we’re talking about.  God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.  You talk about humility—look at that life of Joseph and everything that he went through as God was taking him to the throne.  And even the conclusion of that whole ordeal—he was illuminated at the end of it and said, “You know what?  You guys didn’t send me here.  God sent me here.”  Well, the adversities that you’re trying to get out of now by the wisdom in your own eyes could very likely be the will of God for you, and you need to rest in it and learn in it and let Him deliver you.  But the wisdom of self says, “Well, I’m supposed to prosper; I’m supposed to be in good health; I’m supposed to be happy.  So therefore, I will now force my way into that; I will receive it any way possible,” et cetera.  And we need to humble ourselves and say, “God, if this is your will for me at this moment, let me embrace it.  Not my will, Your will be done.”  Hallelujah.  “Well, that’s no fun.”  But it’s God’s way.  First Peter, Chapter 5 is speaking toward that very specific thought, where he speaks and says to us, “Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God.”  I like that.  “And He will exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).  And as we said many years ago, “due time” is not “you time”; right?  We like to be on “me time.”  But God will exalt you in due time, the right time.  You won’t be tempted past what you’re able.  Hallelujah.

Humble yourself under the will of God.  But the wisdom of our own eyes would begin to convince us, then, that because we know what God has for us—and beloved, some of the things God has for you, you’re not going to obtain until you have your new body; amen?  And there are other things that God has for us, as we shared earlier.  Some of us even need to get a little bit—learn a little bit of wisdom from Joseph and not talk about everything God shared with you.  “You know what?  I’m going to be raised up, and I’m even going to be above Mom and Dad, and…”  That could get you in trouble.  And his brethren hated him.  And we want to share with everybody the great revelations we have and “how God’s going to use me, and I’m this gift, and I have this call, and everybody else”—and the next thing you know, people are watching you, and it’s not happening.  So now, what are they thinking?  Well, if you’re small in your eyes, what’s the problem with being small in the eyes of others?  And because of that, you put yourself under a time table; you put yourself under the critical judgment of others.  Why don’t we just be quiet and let God open doors, and we’ll walk through them?  And all of these big plans and what I’m believing God for…  Well, why don’t you get in your closet alone with God and let Him, in due time, exalt you?  Under the mighty hand of God—what a place to rest.  What a privilege of walking in that communion.  When we stay in that rest, Psalm 9:12 tells us that “He forgets not the cry of the humble.”  When we’ve come into that place of rest and reliance upon Him, and we call out to Him for wisdom and for guidance, He does not forget the cry of the dependent, that child who is not sufficient to himself, that relies solely on the grace, love, care of our Heavenly Father.  So many aspects for us that are important.