stephen R Harrison

Humility. Contentment. Hope. These are marks of a maturing disciple of the Lord. In three short verses, David wrote Psalm 131 as a statement of these three qualities that were present and growing in his life. While David, like us, had moments of sin and weakness, he always repented and sought the Lord’s forgiveness and restoration (Psalm 32, 51). While he could have been proud, having defeated Goliath with a single stone, writing nearly half of the Psalms, and being king, he humbly said, “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty” (v. 1). Pride begins in the soul which is the mind, will, and emotions. It manifests in our body through our reactions, plans, actions, speech, etc. We must allow the Lord to search our hearts and reveal its condition (Psalm 139:23-24). If we are resistant to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and truth of the Word, there is pride in our life. David said, “I do not concern my self with great matters or things too wonderful for me” (v. 1b). He wasn’t saying he was disinterested or indifferent. David knew although he was king, wrote many psalms, and was looked at by many as a great leader, he was not God and nothing without God. He knew his place and let God be God while humbly submitting, obeying, and following His wisdom, will, and way.

David was also content. Contentment is a quality that is evasive in many today. The one who is always changing jobs, changing churches, unhappy with friendships and marriage, and constantly chasing the new and next thing is seldom met with happiness. The Apostle Paul said, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). David wasn’t always seeking to get what he could from those he was with and served. He wasn’t after what God would give him. He learned to “calm and quite himself” (v. 2a) when His selfish and discontented flesh would arise. He was satisfied with just being with the Lord and in life “like a weaned child with its mother” (v. 2b). Too often we seek the Lord and develop relationships with others for what we can get from them. Simply being in the Lord’s presence was enough for David as God supplied all he needed. May we learn to be content in the Lord. He alone is all we need!

David also learned to place his hope in the Lord. Jesus is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13), living hope (1 Peter 1:3), and hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). He is the “hope that does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). In a world of uncertain “I hope so” and “don’t get your hopes up”, we can be confident in the Lord “both now and forevermore” (Psalm 131:3b). Because of his great hope in the Lord, David tells Israel “Put your hope in the Lord” (v. 3a). Whenever we lose hope, we have only taken our eyes off the Lord. We must place them back on Him and rest in the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). On the dash of my truck, I have gauges that measure important levels of things like my battery, tire pressure, oil pressure, gas, and rpms. They quickly let me know the health of my vehicle. If you want to know how healthy or mature you are in Christ, be like David and let the Lord test the levels of your humility, contentment, and hope!

Questions:

1. What is standing in the way of your humility?
2. With what are you discontent?
3. What is driving your hope?

Prayer:
Lord, help me to grow in humility. I desire to be fully content and satisfied in You. You fill me with hope that does not disappoint. When my thoughts, actions, words, and emotions are out of sync with the humility, contentment, and hope You desire for my life, may I repent and return to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.