Humble & Being Humbled
Psalms of Ascent • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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One of the most profound and one of the most discouraging statements made by a pastor is the following:
“It is a lot easier to say than to live.”
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.
Have you ever read my book on humility? Here let me give you an autographed copy...
How often can we think of ourselves as having arrived at the point of being humble just to have the thought prove the converse of our thought?
The Psalm we have just finished reading is attributed to David as an author and yet it implies he is speaking of himself.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon says of this Psalm:
“It is one of the shortest psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.”
“It is one of the shortest psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.”
Three ideas the Lord has laid upon my heart for the morning:
Grow in humility.
Grow in the discipline of silence.
Grow in Faith.
Let’s dive in!
Grow in Humility!
Grow in Humility!
David learned humility, though it is not a lesson easily learned.
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.
Essentially, David is having a conversation with the Lord.
He does not intend this as something external of the conversation, but we are given insight towards this personal attitude of David.
Three attitudes of humility:
heart not lifted — no pride
eyes not raised —
occupy myself with things too great...for me. — he did not go where he did not belong. Saul or Uzziah.
“Many have sought to be great, but failed to be good.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
Let’s be mindful of how easy it is to compare ourselves to others.
Of how we, in human nature, compete with others.
Of How we try to outperform others.
Of discontent
All of these come from pride.
How often do men try to step into the shoes of God?
If we in humanity could just pause long enough to be faithful (good)...then possibly we might be used of God for the Great.
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Grow in the Discipline of Silence!
Grow in the Discipline of Silence!
“In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds.”
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.
David is essentially saying he is regressing in self pursuit.
He is content just to be in the presence of the Lord.
He is willing to be like a child having laid aside the ambition of adult pursuit for the purpose of becoming content in the small.
We all know, David is not playing games with God.
He is not being trite or fake.
David has grown or learned to quiet himself and leave the complaint to the side.
He has learned the obedience of silence and the growth beyond milk.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Then David switches gears and goes from vertical speech to horizontal speech.
Grow in Faith
Grow in Faith
Grow in Hope
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
The challenge is for the people to hope in or faith in the only One able to do or accomplish anything.
When He is our hope...we are content.
Walking Away, But In...
Walking Away, But In...
Shrink
Let God Promote
Hope
