“My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul.”
Psalm 131:1-2a
It’s hard to believe these words are attributed to the greatest warrior-king Israel ever had. When the son of Jesse was still a boy, he engaged the most fearsome warrior of the Philistine army in hand-to-hand combat, defeating him in seconds. In the years ahead, David’s acts of valor became legendary among God’s people. But this is not what made David “a man after [God’s] own heart.”
David understood the danger of pride, a cancer of the soul and common to all. It abounds in the midst of success. The more we accomplish, the more likely it is that our own glory will loom larger in our hearts than God’s. As this happens, our hearts become more unsettled, which prompts us to seek even greater glory for ourselves.
But no one finds satisfaction in this way. Instead, we find contentment by letting go of glory. Rather than having haughty eyes, our vision must be filled with the glory of the King of kings. All glory belongs to Him. When we give it to Him, we will discover that our hearts are satisfied and contented.
David understood the danger of pride, a cancer of the soul and common to all. It abounds in the midst of success. The more we accomplish, the more likely it is that our own glory will loom larger in our hearts than God’s. As this happens, our hearts become more unsettled, which prompts us to seek even greater glory for ourselves.
But no one finds satisfaction in this way. Instead, we find contentment by letting go of glory. Rather than having haughty eyes, our vision must be filled with the glory of the King of kings. All glory belongs to Him. When we give it to Him, we will discover that our hearts are satisfied and contented.
Scripture Focus
Psalm 131
Insight
“Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart./ Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.” (Mary E. Byrne, 1905)
Bible In A Year
- Isaiah 9-10
- Psalm 76
- John 17
