Have you ever noticed the spirit and posture of a proud person? The proud person is not a quiet, calm, and contented person. They seem to know something about everything! They think they must answer everything. What they think they know is always better than what someone else knows. They always try to “one-up” everyone else, getting in the last word. They want you and everyone else to see that they know something. Yet, notice what the Psalmist says in our reading this morning.
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, ESV)
Have you ever noticed the spirit and posture of a humble person? They are quiet people. There isn’t the slightest sense of tension when you interact with them. They don’t feel the need to tell you everything they know. They don’t need to have the last word, story, or comment. They don’t pretend to be something they are not. Notice what the Psalmist says of the humble.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, As a child that is weaned of his mother: My soul is even as a weaned child. (Psalm 131:2, KJV)
A young child with a full belly is very content, relaxed, and enjoyable. A hungry child is not! The difference is that one is full, and the other is empty. What a picture of the difference between the proud and humble. The humble person has been contented with God; their soul is full. The proud person is empty, though they come across as full of it. Which one are we? Which one should we be?
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 131; 138-139; 143-145.