This conditional promise can be misused by some who have ulterior motives, but when we truly humble ourselves in the Lord's sight it can in no way be for our own lifting up. True humility would put ourselves last and that is what makes this paradoxical truth so amazing. We cannot lift our own selves up; it is only God who is able to do that and He only does that when we are humbled before Him. We also saw this demonstrated in Christ who "humbled Himself to the point of death-even the death of the cross" yet "God exalted Him" (Philippians 2:8-9).