A Quieted Spirit – Ken Barnes
O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. (Psalms 131: 1 NASB)
This Psalm probably came as a response to an accusation by King Saul that David through arrogance and selfish ambition had sought the kingdom. His reply indicated that his heart had been weaned from the worldly trappings of leadership.
The commentator Matthew Henry once said of this Psalm, “He had neither a scornful nor an ambitious look.” Pride leads us to be jealous of those above us and to look down on those below us. David never envied King Saul as he ruled or despised him when he fell from favor with God and man. Not seeking an exalted position, David was willing to spend all of his days in the sheepfold if God desired. He even grieved over the fall of his King; the Lord’s anointed.
On the other hand, likely speaking out of the depravity of his own heart, Saul still accused David of seeking leadership for the wrong motives. His pride and paranoia kept him suspicious and judgmental.
Much has been said of being all that you can be for God, and rightly so. It may be just as important to be content in whatever station in life to which God has called us. Could it be that those who seek these things the least, are the ones God can give to most freely? We should never seek more than God wills for us, but never apologize for what He does bestow upon us. A quieted spirit ensures we will be at rest in any position in life.
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