Journal Entry ~ 07/24/19

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.  - Psalm 131:1

After a spending time in Psalm 130, where we are encouraged to find our hope as we wait on the Lord, the first read through Psalm 131 is a bit heavy. But, just as every word penned in scripture, this is exactly where we should be as we consider how to wait well. 

This short Psalm is about humility and contentment - two things most of us struggle to do well, but two things that are essential if we are going to find Hope as we wait on the Lord. As you read on in this psalm, you see David’s souls has become quiet and calmed like a baby - the peace and tranquillity in that imagery is where I want to be. 

How do we get there? David tells us not to be proud in our hearts. Our pride is the main obstacle in our relationship with God - it is is what caused Satan to fall, it is what caused Adam and Eve to fall, and it is the root of what causes us to stumble every single day. Our pride is what causes our discontent in our circumstances - because we think we know what is best. Our pride is what causes our anxiousness, our anger, our depression, our foolishness - we want what we want when we want it. We don’t want to honor God as sovereign over our lives, we just want Him to answer our prayers according to our plan. 

This pride causes our souls to be disturbed and agitated. We cry out rather than find peace and rest. Some of us have a guilty conscience; some of us may be worried about something or envious of someone; some of us may be distracted or fatigued. But God wants us to have a quiet heart. He wants our souls to be at rest.

If we are to find that rest and peace He offers, we need to start with a heart of humility and contentment. They are the root of the Hope we long to find. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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