Jesus said in Matthew 5.5, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” He would later tell us in Matthew 18.3, “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (NRSV). Paul would remind us of the same ideal in Romans 12.16 and 1 Corinthians 14.20. We are to have an attitude of childlike faith in this world of evil. When we look to ourselves as entities without need of help from another, we make ourselves god. Think about your life today. In what areas are you taking upon yourself and not bringing before godly counsel (Proverbs 15.22)and to God in prayer? This is, then, an area where you are making yourself into god. When we attempt to be gods, we stop God from operating in our life and things become frustrating, we become anxious, and we have no help (Philippians 4.4-9, cf. James 4.6). When we live in humility before Him, having the mind of Christ (Philippians 2.5-8), we find contentment (2 Corinthians 12). This is because our hope, our trust, our life, is in God. This is the essence of this short three-verse psalm. It directs our attention to our need for humility, our reliance or trust in God, and our only source of hope, which is solely found in God. Remember, hope is not wishful thinking but the full assurance that what God has said is and will forever be trustworthy.
Verse one implies that David had not always been humble before God (think of our recent studies in 1 Chronicles with the census). David sought refuge in his military strength and not in God’s omnipotence. David humbly submits his heart, eyes, and actions to God. He wants to live his life according to Romans 12.1-2 and 1 John 2.5-17. A. W. Tozer understood this when he wrote in “The Pursuit of God”: “Never forget that it is a privilege to wonder, to stand in delighted silence before the Supreme Mystery and whisper, ‘O Lord God, thou knowest.’”
Verse two mentions weaning. Weaning is resisted by the child because it longs for the closeness of the mother. However, without weaning there is no growth. We need to begin to feed ourselves and not rely on the milk of another to feed us. Hebrews 5.11-14 presents this truth quite well.
So, the question for us is where do we place our confidence? Is it in us, mankind, our things, or in God?
Media
- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Alan Jackson
- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Michael W. Smith
I think this psalm shows the great amount of trust David has placed in the Lord. This is how we should be. We spend so many of our hours worrying and letting anxiety overwhelm us. His Word instructs us not to worry because He will take care of us. This psalm encourages us to rest and put our hope and confidence in Him and His ways.