I’d love to hear what you guys think about this verse.
“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
And… discuss.
Todd
In some translations, it says “my heart is not haughty nor my eyes lofty.” Being haughty is the opposite of being humble, perhaps being prideful, and having lofty eyes speaks of looking down on other people, seeing them as inferior. These are day-to-day struggles for most of us if we are honest. The rest of the verse talks about having our time consumed with things for which there are no answers, for which we must simply trust God (Job 42:3). It does not seem to indicate we should not strive to do great things for God, but in doing so we should not get caught up in pride and self-importance.
The next verse (Psa. 131:2) gives a good contrast to the person who may be driven by pride and self-importance, who is always striving to be “better than” others or finding their self-worth in their accomplishments. The person David wanted to be had a calm and quiet soul because his hope was in the Lord, not in himself. These verses are a mirror we need to look into often to reveal whether or not we are self-obsessed or God-obsessed.
The version you posted left me a little confused, but the NIV is such a peaceful passage. It’s sort of liberating to someone who tends to attempt to carry much more of a burden than is prudent.
Thanks for giving me/us something to think about.
…..and …..Happy Birthday!!! You must be closing in on 40 by now?? 🙂 May it be your very best yet and may it be filled with all things wonderful!!
I like the Message version as well:
“God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,
I don’t want to be king of the mountain.
I haven’t meddled where I have no business
or fantasized grandiose plans.”
Daily I have to check myself and quit trying to tell God how I think it should go, and remember who I am and who He is.
My favorite Psalm. It is verse 2 that puts verse 1 in perspective for me. “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” After 3 children and nursing them I have experienced the difference between a nursing baby and a weaned child. A nursing baby spends time taking. A weaned child spends time in relationship – listening, talking, playing, learning. A weaned child has learned to rest in mama not demand (been head butted by an insistant little boy). The calm and quiet soul has grown from “haughty” – it’s all about me to resting in the arms of their dear Savior.
Thanks Sheila for your insight. The contrast of a nursing baby and a weaned child is awesome! This passage really speaks to me and challenges me to rest in God rather than strive in my own strength.
My wife Stacy (who you met at a Disciple Now in the middle-of-nowhere Texas in 200/2001, Todd) is now determined to wean our youngest for that very reason–Stacy can’t come in her sight (around mealtimes) without the little girl being fussy.
However, I don’t think the division to make, here, is between taking from God vs. just relating to God. Every relationship involves giving and taking, and every relationship has rules (to ruin some new Christian cliches). A weaned child, though, is willing to wait and rest for food other than milk, trusting that it is better food. Talitha, our daughter, wants to nurse because she prefers it to the solid food we would like to feed her. The Father, likewise, always has some great food for us, but not always the food we are willing to take. I love the complementary verses in Psalm 25 about this: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.”
The speaker in Psalm 131 is not reaching, but waiting, knowing that the Lord of all these wonderous truths is, by His very character, a willing teacher of the humble.
That is, of course, reading into Psalm 131 from larger contexts.
I think it simply means keep your eyes on Jesus!
Thank you for your great music, you are blessed, and we are glad that you share!
Sending Smiles to everyone! 🙂