Week of October 12

“A born-again person ought to possess unspeakable peace in the spirit”(Watchman Nee). However, many sincere Christians are nagged by overwhelming burdens in life, despite the call to cast all our cares upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). The psalmist knew how to find and hold onto the peace of the Lord. Such tranquility may be ours as well, so let’s examine closely this focal psalm today.

This psalm has been defined as a “Psalm of Ascents.” The worshipers would sing the hymn as they climbed the hill toward the temple in Jerusalem. It may also be described as an “individual song of confidence” (EBC). The heart of the psalm resides in the psalmist’s “complete trust in the Lord and his willing submission to God’s will” (Handbook). Easier said than done for many contemporary Christians, so we need to discover what it was that enabled this worshiper to express such confidence in the Lord.

Humble heart in need of God. Pride presents itself as a dark moon, eclipsing the radiant sunshine of God’s care for us (vs. 1). The psalmist knows that “haughty” eyes” and a preoccupation “with great matters” is the opposite of calm dependence upon the Lord. The person who is filled with pride continually “compares, competes, and is never content” (EBC). Ever on the climb, this person finds the ascent too steep and treacherous. Nevertheless, he exerts great energy trying to outdo and outperform. We all have known people like the person the psalmist describes in this passage. The godly person, however, knows that true godliness begins deep within the heart (cf. Proverbs 18:12). The secret to contentment, the heart, is about 18 inches beneath the brain! Rather than climb to success, we should learn early in life to kneel to succeed.

Trust God to supply your every need. The way to childlike contentment with God is described as being “still” (composed) and “quieted” (“silenced”) in our souls (v. 2). Brother Lawrence once said, “We must do our business faithfully; without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God mildly, and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from Him.” The picture of a weaned child may also mean “contentment,” but the point is clear when we consider a little one who knows that his mother will supply his needs (cf. Matthew 6:19-34), or, having been satisfied, is able to rest peacefully (cf. Paul in Philippians 4:11-13).

This fruit of peace grows from the root of commitment to God. For example, the storms outside our boat should never distress us when Jesus is inside the boat! (cf. Luke 8:23-25). In other words, walking daily with the Lord in the periods of calm helps to prepare us for the sudden travail that life may throw our way. The psalmist calls on us to trust in the Lord forevermore (v. 3).

“Binkie,” “Blankie,” “Silkie,” “Baby,” and any number of other terms are the names children assign to their comfort objects. We all know what I am talking about. Our little ones will often fret and whine until they are given their pacifier or favorite blanket or stuffed animal. They soon grow calm. I also note that both of my children and all our grandchildren allow me to hold them for a while, but as soon as their mothers draw near, they begin to reach toward them. They find comfort in the arms of the ones who brought them into life and care for them. That bond is a lifelong one. 

Here is the spiritual point. The same holds true for the God who gave us life and who also has given us new life in His Son! Martin Luther once said, “I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” What cares cause you to fret? Give them to the Lord now and forevermore.

1. Write down your top five greatest cares. Has your own stubbornness or pride prevented you from finding comfort in the Father’s arms? Give your worries to Him and find peace.

2. For Families: This Psalm, with its three verses, is a whole chapter! Invite your children to memorize this chapter over some cookies and milk after school one day this week. Have them open their Bibles, locate the Psalm, and write each phrase on a separate strip of paper. Explain what the words mean. Then have them scramble the strips, and rearrange the Psalm into its proper phrasing again, checking their work against the Bible. Do this a couple of times.

Next, have them pass around their strips to the other children at the table, mixing them up so that their siblings can arrange them again, this time without looking. Finally, have them put all of their strips upside down and quote the Psalm five times without looking. High five your children for memorizing a chapter from the Bible! At suppertime, ask them to say the chapter in unison.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock