David declares the sweet condition of his “soul”–his whole inward disposition—in verse 2. It was not without personal effort: “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul.” But it resulted in personal peace and contentment:
“Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me.”
It is in verse 1 that David tells us what has promoted and now preserves this sweet condition: “O LORD, my heart is not proud, not my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.” I mention two of these promoters and preservers in this devotion.
A Humble Disposition
“My heart is not proud [“not lifted up” ESV], nor my eyes haughty [“raised too high” ESV].” We must not overlook the first word of the verse, “O LORD.” This word, this One, is in whom we gain perspective and peace. Here we learn our place and have our hope. “O LORD” ought to beget a proper humility, a right and sober estimate of ourselves.
The only thing that gravity can’t pull down is our esteem of self! It is a hard thing to keep the heart from rising. We are naturally prone to rise on the hot air of our own little thoughts or puny acts. We are easily inflated, as Spurgeon said, by a “pat on the back”! The higher we rise in our own eyes the more and more we prize, put priority on, and give the preeminence to our thoughts, our wisdom, our ways and ends, our purposes and plans. We become the “pinnacle center” of our little universe and expect everything to revolve around and point to ourselves. The result of self-exaltation is that we become more and more distressed, challenged, “put out,” irritated, bitter, and angry when we are not esteemed, when we are not listened to, when our plans are frustrated, etc. The LORD is the exalted above all. He is the Center of all. He will not be displaced by any.
When the heart is high, so are the eyes, looking down on others. And as we rise, others become lower and smaller. They are seen either as those who exist to serve us or as those who are potential threats to us. “The proud person looks, compares, competes, and is never content” (VanGemeren, 803). Pride is one of the main “disturbers” of our peace. Pride always “stirs the pot” of our contentment. Pride demands from God and others infinitely more than we are worth!
David’s composure and peace came by forsaking a constant focus on himself, by forsaking a sinful self-reliance on himself, and by forsaking being all concerned and wrapped up in himself. Rather, looking to the LORD, he humbled himself, and took his rightful place as a servant of others with the calling and gifts God had given him.
A Restrained Ambition
“Nor do I involve myself in great matters . . .” “I am not preoccupied with greatness.” The NET renders: “I do not have great aspirations.” Here is a humility with respect to the ways and affairs of man. He does not aim to rise about others to be seen or regarded by others. He has stepped out the rat race, out of the ratings game, and stopped scrambling for a place in the sun. Ecclesiastes gives the counsel that David has already embraced, ‘But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them . . .” (Eccl. 10:5-7). Like David in his youth, and like his close friend, Jonathan, they were determined not to press for place, but leave it all to the LORD. This one understands that the LORD loves faithfulness even in the small things. He will not disdain the small work. Paul’s counsel to the Thessalonians echoes the idea, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business” (1 Th. 4:11). One has paraphrased it, “Make it your ambition to have no ambition [but to please Him who called you].”
“Do not be the great man, the grand, mysterious soul, the cloud-flier, the planet-discoverer, but keep near the shore, and keep near the haunt of poverty, and the bed of pain, and the nursery of childhood, and the school where ignorance seeks to be taught; be faithful in few things, and God will make you ruler over many” (J. Parker).
Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote:
“It has always been my aim, and it is my prayer, to have no plan as regards myself; well assured as I am that the place where the Savior sees [fit] to place me must ever be the best place for me.”
Blessings in Christ.
