Thoughts

Three more Songs of Ascent today, which are songs that were sung as faithful Jews were going up to Jerusalem as they were going to the Temple for the three annual festivals of the Jewish calendar.

Putting Away Pride

Psalm 131 is David's song in which he declares that pride has no place in his heart. It is a very short song, and Charles Spurgeon had this to say about it: “It is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn. It speaks of a young child, but it contains the experience of a man in Christ.”

For someone with as many accomplishments as David had, it can be very difficult not to harbor pride or arrogance. We know from Scripture that David had at least one bout with pride, when he got into trouble with Bathsheba. To be sure, lust was a big part of his sin, but pride was at the root of his fall. He thought that he could get away with his sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent sin of the murder of her husband. But the cascading consequences of the first sin reverberated for many years. 

David learned the hard way that pride will inevitably wreak havoc on one's life, and in this psalm he says that he has learned that it is much better to be content with God, and the blessings He brings to a contrite heart. 

Do It While You're Young

Oh, beloved. Would that we would learn this lesson early in life, instead of spending wasted years in pursuit of glory, riches and power. A heart in pursuit of a vital, dynamic, deep relationship with God will always result in a life infinitely more fulfilled. It will be a life that leaves an eternal legacy. 

It Is Never Too Late

But even if we learn the lesson later in life, as David did, we know from this psalm that our heart can find peace with God, despite earlier failures. Coming to Christ, admitting that we need the forgiveness that only He can bring, is but the first step in laying down our pride. From that point on, He begins the work of making us a new person, the person He created us to be.  

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 131-133 ESV

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Ritabrata Das on Unsplash

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation,