SCRIPTURE: Psalm 75
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. [Psalm 75:6-7]
We may pride ourselves on our successes and accomplishments, but God sees through it all – the good and the bad – to see our hearts.
He is the One that judges the heart, He is the One that decides Who is truly successful and truly honourable.
Too often God’s followers forget this; having received His mercy, they become proud and assume that they are better than others.
But the lesson here is that God does not show favouritism; He can exalt a humble person at one moment, but if they become proud He can humble them.

Jesus address this when He meets a Gentile centurion who has remarkable faith, while the Jewish leaders have their hearts closed to Him.
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [Matthew 8:10-12]
Many will come from the easy and the west – this is an echo of Psalm 75, and a reminder that God is gracious to all nations, not just to Israel.
And if His own people – the subjects of the kingdom, who He has exalted with His love – have no room in their hearts for God, He will humble them.
And if unrepentant, they will lose what they received by grace.

God’s help and God’s love is free to all who humbly admit their need for it, and who depend on God’s mercy always.
There is no room for pride, for thinking of oneself as better than others.
God sees deep into our hearts, He knows what really lives there.
He is the Judge, He will exalt and He will humble – and there will be many surprises on that final day when we see who is standing where.
Jesus’ words were meant to jolt the Jews into wonder and humility, to show them that they did not have any advantage over non-Jews.
The same holds true today – God is as open and as merciful to Jews and Arabs and hispanics and blacks and adults and children and humanitarians and criminals and…
Any and all who humble themselves, and admit their need for God’s mercy and help, will be forgiven and welcomed at the Lord’s table!

PRAYER:
Lord, Your table is open to all who admit their need for Your mercy and help; may we also allow Your table to be open too!