Humble In His Presence

Woodland Church - Ironwood

For the past several weeks we have been in this series on the the Psalms of Ascent. Psalms that tell the story of pilgrims who represent a picture of the believer. Through the various triads of these Psalms, we find that there is a cycle in life.

One that is designed to give us opportunity to come to God again and again.

One that reflects various contextual changes in our life. Revealing we can trust God in any situation we face.

One that reflects a process of maturing from attitudes of spiritual infancy to attitudes of spiritual maturity.

Through these Psalms we learn that God is greater than all of the complexities of life. That He is always able to see clearly in the fog. He always understands exactly what we are going through and how to carry us through to the end. In response to this reality, that God is all-knowing, all-wise, all - righteous - all loving. We are given a pathway to respond like John in John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.””

It’s a pathway of learning to let go of my self sufficiency while trusting His total supremacy.

Today we are in Psalm 131. As I looked through and studied this passage, it was as though billows of waves washed over me. It’s in part due to my own context for life right now, but it is also an ongoing lesson. One that we will all face until we pass into eternity. Ultimately, what I found in my study, my personal pursuit of the Lord in this passage was a simply question. One that is simple in nature, yet when dwelled on carries massive implications.

The question is this,

“To what degree do I trust God?”

If you were to choose a marker, perhaps between 0 and 10. 0 being, “I don’t trust God” and 10 being “With total transparency, with total honesty, there is nothing I hold back from God, my trust in Him is the totality of my life.”

For many reasons, I find the reality of how I would answer this question alarming.

Personally, I believe David did as well. I am honestly left to wonder, if it was David’s response to a question like this one, that he decided to Write Psalm 131.

Let’s read this Psalm together and once we are done reading it, I am going to pray through this Psalm. I encourage you to join me in praying that this would be our posture in our time here together.

Psalm 131 “A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 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.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”

Let’s pray

Prayer through the Psalm.

Lord, may our hearts not be lifted up, may our eyes not be raised too high, may we as your people not occupy ourselves with things that are too great and too marvelous for us.

Lord, help us to quiet our souls. Help us to remove distraction. Help us to put any pain we are experiencing, any pressure off to the side. Allow us to be focused entirely on you and what it means to be in your presence. Lord regardless of what we need to experience, allow us to rest in your presence like a weaned child with its mother.

Lord, help us to put our hope in you. That wherever we are on the scale of trusting you, that you would draw us closer to you this morning. Lord, may our hope be so elevated, that we truly put our hope in you alone for this time forth and forevermore.

This Psalm was likely used by the Israelites as they drew near the temple during the feast. As the priest or leader of the song would start, he makes this call for all the people. A call that is good and right. That we should all be purposeful about how we approach the Lord. We have to start with removing ourselves from the equation. Unless we are ready to admit our short comings, our limited ability, our insufficiency we will not see God for who He is. Instead, we will conjure up some caricature that helps us to feel good about where we are at.

God is not here to comfort you in your sin. God is not here to comfort you when you think more highly of yourself than you ought. Humanity craves sufficiency. We long to prove ourselves to one another. We long to be the best at anything we can find. In fact, we have made such a habit of it that we have started turning the very fabric of reality and wrapping it around ourselves like a blanket. Meaning, that it doesnt really matter what other people are good at, I will find a way to out do them. Maybe they have an incredible work eithic, thats okay, good for them. I can’t compete with that so I will adjust the scale and place my value on something that I am good at. Then I can still feel good and even look down on them in my own way for not being as good as me in a particular area.

This problem is so vast, it has so captivated our souls that I am not even sure we are aware of it.

Psalm 131:1

“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.”

It’s a posture that aims to full trust God.

A posture that deny’s the need to tell God what I want Him to do and instead listens to His voice.

ESV - my heart is not lifted up

NIV - is not proud

KJV - Not haughty

Gabah - To exalt, to elevate, or to make it a priority.

In other words, the longings of my heart is of no priority, of no emphasis. My life is not concerned with itself - it is concerned with who you are Lord.

“My eyes are not raised too high” = Rraash-vov-mim

Notions of Glory and exaltation

Notions of arrogance and pride

Raj-vov-mim = It is meant to broadly communicate - any path that one might take in order to elevate in status.

Meaning that David is saying, “I will give no priority to my hearts longings, to the degree that I will in no way aim to look good or make any moves that would lead to a higher status. I won’t even allow myself to look at it.”

The posture of reverence here is that God is to holy and perfect for us to have a hint or whiff of selfishness in His presence. Reverence is abandonment of human expectation in this regard.

The third Hebrew word is Godol (Gadol) - Which is the word used for “Things too Great.” It is defined by the theological wordbook of the Old Testament in this way:

“The root is used for physical growth of people and other living things as well as for the increase of things tangible and intangible whether objects, sounds, feelings or authority. It never refers to being numerous, only to being great in size, importance etc.”

So as the people come before the Lord in reverence they are saying

i will not aim to increase myself, my things, or my abilities so as to increase my importance in any way.”

The final rejection of self comes with the 4th Hebrew word, which is the word for Marvelous. The word is

Pe-le - “too marvelous for me”

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1768 פָּלָא)

both the verb and substantive refer to the acts of God, designating either cosmic wonders or historical achievements on behalf of Israel. That is, in the Bible the root plʾ, refers to things that are unusual, beyond human capabilities. As such, it awakens astonishment (plʾ) in man.

Friends, we have to see the significance of what is happening in this passage. David, after years of following the Lord. Living through great joy, living through unspeakable pain, living through a season of wickedness, living through seeing God provide for him again and again - he comes to God. Not wanting to hold onto anything, not wanting to have or receive anything that he realized he was chasing in his, wanting to just give it all away,

in four different expressions he says

Lord, I don’t need to seek out the things that I want, I don’t even want the longings of my heart to be a priority in my life. I only want you.

Lord, I don’t need status, I don’t want glory or exaltation from anyone, I don't want to be prideful or arrogant. Lord, I don’t even want to look at it or imagine what life would be like if I had it.

Lord, I want nothing to do with elevating myself or my ideas. In fact, I wont aim in any way to increase myself, my possessions, my influence, or my importance.

Lord, I want nothing to do with trying to play God in my life. Don’t let me live independent from you as if I am in charge of my life. God, you are the only one who can bring about good. You are the only one who can perform cosmic wonders. The only one who can establish good in Israel.

As the king of Israel, David calls all of us to a place of reverence before God that recognizes there is nothing we can do. There is no power, no ability, no development of any kind that we can produce.

We have been told a lie from Satan and we have believed it. For so long we have believed in what we can achieve and what we can do. God we reject that and we lay it at your feet as the only one is able.

DARTS

Imagine I'm sitting with someone, passionately telling them how much I love darts and how skilled I am. Naturally, they get curious and say, "I’d like to see that. Let’s play a game." Now, I have their attention, and they're eager to see my skills. They invite me to play, and I'm ready to show off.

To be courteous, I let them throw their three darts first. They get a good score, and I say, "Wow, you must be a good player. That was impressive." With a stroke of confidence, they grin and feel proud of their performance.

Now it’s my turn. I walk up to the line, take hold of my darts, turn to the side, and throw all three darts at an empty wall. Then, I turn to them and say, “I win.”

Confused, they respond, “What do you mean, ‘You win’? You didn’t even hit the target, let alone the dartboard!”

I go over, point to my darts stuck in the wall, and pull out a permanent marker. I draw a dartboard around my darts, all hitting a triple 20.

If you were the other person in this scenario, you’d probably laugh and brush it off as a ridiculous joke. But what if I looked back at you, completely serious, and said, “I told you, I’m very good at darts. I always win.”

This situation is comical because it’s absurd. You’d think I was either very good at satire or just plain crazy. But what if the God of the universe made Himself totally available to us, wanting to be our all-sufficient power, wisdom, and provider? What if He wanted a relationship where we are cared for in ways beyond any human relationship? Would it be comical if God came to you and said, “You were never even playing the game. You made decisions outside of My will, did what you wanted, and then tried to drag Me into it”?

We all have a tendency to rewrite God’s Word, molding it to fit our desires so we can live comfortably while trying to claim promises meant for those who truly love and commit to Him.

The call of the priest at the festival in verse one is to deny this self-centered approach. To stop making up our own rules, pretending we know what’s best, and instead, to put ourselves aside and acknowledge, "It’s not about me. I can’t prove myself. I am not sufficient, all-powerful, all-knowing, or all-wise. Lord, I reject my way of living and surrender to Yours."

Verse 1 is a call to come to God with reverence, ready to say, “God, I know You are more, better than anything in this world. I don’t want to live by my rules and standards; I want to surrender to You. I want to receive all of You with all that I have. So I intentionally remove everything in my life that is not of You.”

What we find is that this is a deep cry that aims to reject every way in which sin has captured my heart, my mind, and my eyes.

And when we are honest before God. In answering that alarming question, “To what degree do I trust God?”

When we closely evaluate ourselves based on these four rejections that David offers, this question becomes alarming for this reason:

We often find that we are failing to live out the very faith we claim to believe. We find that we have fallen into one trap after another. We have learned again to trust ourselves, not God. We are foolish enough to trust ourselves.....

So we pray to God. We confess it. We reject it being a part of our lives moving forward. And we rest in God’s presence.

Psalm 131:2 “2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

In reverence, we intentionally push out distraction. We quiet our minds, we calm our souls as we prepare to come into the presence of a holy God.

When is the last time that you took 5 minutes to quiet your mind and your heart? Do you intentionally prepare your soul for being in God’s presence?

How might that practice change your life?

As we look at this we that we can be like a weaned child, comforted and resting in the arms of its mother.

I have found that I long for these moments. When with determination I come to the Lord in reverence, with a prepared soul, and I simply sit in His presence. I simply long to be with Him. There is nothing quite like it.

But consider the analogy, because it speaks to having a measure of trust in God. You see, so many of us want the benefits that God brings, but we avoid labor He calls us.

a weaned child, is a child that has gone through some truama. It means that for months it found comfort and nutrients in moms arms. But now, the nutrients, the sustenance is withheld. The child wants the mild but cannot have it.

It does not matter who you are, where you come from, or what your context is. The Lord will always bring seasons of weaning. Seasons where He asks you to make a decision you don’t want to make.

It may be turning from a specific sin.

Forgiving an Offender:

Reluctance: Many Christians struggle to forgive those who have deeply hurt them, preferring to hold onto anger or bitterness.

Call: God calls believers to forgive others as He has forgiven them (Ephesians 4:32).

Serving in Unfamiliar or Uncomfortable Situations:

Reluctance: Christians might be hesitant to serve in unfamiliar places, such as foreign missions or inner-city ministries, due to fear or discomfort.

Call: God calls believers to serve others and go wherever He leads, trusting in His provision and protection

Matthew 28:19–20 “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Sharing the Gospel with Strangers:

Reluctance: Many Christians feel nervous or unprepared to share their faith with strangers or in hostile environments.

Call: God commands believers to spread the Gospel to all nations, despite personal fears

Mark 16:15 “15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Giving Sacrificially:

Reluctance: Christians may be reluctant to give financially beyond their comfort zone, especially if it affects their lifestyle.

Call: God calls believers to give generously and trust Him to meet their needs

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 “6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Leaving a Comfortable Job or Location:

Reluctance: Moving to a new place or leaving a secure job for ministry work or a calling can be daunting and undesirable.

Call: God often asks believers to step out in faith and follow His leading, even when it means leaving behind security and comfort

Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

Matthew 4:18–22 “18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

These examples illustrate how God’s call often requires Christians to step out of their comfort zones, trust Him more deeply, and align their will with His purposes.

We often will not know how to make sense of it.

We often will have a number of variables that are unknown.

which is the point.

A weaned child that learns to rest in its mothers arms, has learned to agree with the mothers decision. Like it or not, mother knows best when it comes to that child’s needs.

Like it or not, God knows what is best for you.

Are you willing to trust Him?

Are you willing to agree with Him even when you don’t like it?

As a pastor I have often learned that this is a great tension for most believers. In one way or another, we have learned to trust ourselves. So when God comes knocking, we struggle, we wrestle, we try to imagine how we can enter into His calling while keeping and achieving everything we want.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

We must come to the Father with open arms. Ready to give all that we have so that we can enter into all that He has for us.

As a plea to all believers, as a exhortation in order to remind us of the value we find in Christ, the Psalm ends in verse three by urging us as we move foreward.

Psalm 131:3 “3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”

I want to conclude with a very immeadiate example of what it means to be the people of God.

1 Timothy 2:1–2 “1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Yesterday we were reminded as a country how divided we are. After hearing about the shooting at the Republican rally, it would be easy to become consumed in watching videos and reading about the event. But as Christians, as the people of God we must not get caught up in this controversy because it will only cause more division. Yet we are called to act - so what do we do?

We pray. We pray for the families who have been affected. We pray for the people who were there. We pray for leaders of our country - that God would give them clarity on how to bring about unity.

The best thing that the believer can do, is come to God, lay aside personal desire, and seek the Lord in prayer.

that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

I would also offer this as a gentle reminder. Be careful how you respond to people about political or cultural issues. Instead of getting your comments in, consider how you might help this person join you in coming before the Lord. Keep the focus on God.

Psalm 131:3 “3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”