This is a pretty striking statement for the King of Israel. How can he express that he does not “exercise himself in great matters” when he is the ruler over the people of God? What David means by this is that he has in all things quietly submitted himself to the wisdom of His heavenly Father.

I recently had the great pleasure of purchasing a new Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible (which I recommend to all) and have begun to use it every day for morning and evening devotions. In 2015 I plan on going through the four gospels in the morning and the psalms in the evening. One of my character flaws is I have always been a bit eager to get things underway so last night I started looking through the book of psalms and was taking a look at some of the study notes when my eyes were turned towards the 131^st Psalm. In the first verse David says these words, “LORD, my heart is not haughty” and in this short blog post I want to examine for a moment the application of this clause for the Christian life.

The word “haughty” appears in the King James ten times, but the place where it finds its most regular use is in the book of Proverbs. There it is used in conjunction with destruction and even more closely with the nature of the heart prior to ruin. It is with this same meaning that the prophet Isaiah employs it in chapter three, verses 16-17 in his book. Now getting back to David and his psalm why would he then use this word to mark out what he is not? Well one of the key things about a Christian that is necessary for their salvation is coming to a right understanding of the nature of their own place in the kingdom of God. In this same psalm David will go on to say, “…neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.” This is a pretty striking statement for the King of Israel. How can he express that he does not “exercise himself in great matters” when he is the ruler over the people of God? What David means by this is that he has in all things quietly submitted himself to the wisdom of His heavenly Father. Even as King he is not “haughty” in his wisdom, trusting in his own experience and knowledge, but as he does in 1 Samuel 30 when he enquires of the LORD in the sadness of Ziklag, he humbly goes to the LORD and seeks understanding from him, which is of course the thing that Saul continually fails to do (think 1 Samuel 28) and which brings the destruction he will soon see upon himself and his nation.

I want to think on this for a moment: How are we “haughty” in our dealings with the Lord and with the world? Do we in all things rest meekly and modestly in the wisdom of God or do we “share” this great mercy with the wisdom of the world and our own sinful hearts? Seeking the Word of the Lord in some things, but then going after the checkout line understanding for things which we may not think God has a Word for?

One of the great blessings of the Wisdom of God is that it is sufficient for all things, even the matters, strike that, especially for those matters we think are outside the purview of the Bible. So as you go about your daily lives and are pressed upon by the sinfulness of your own heart and the wiles of the fleshly world around you be comforted in this. That the same Lord Jesus Christ who is the second person of the Holy Trinity humbled Himself before the Father and loved His commandment and His decree for His life and because he was not “haughty”, but “quieted Himself” before His Father, you are saved from death and hell, regenerated in mind and soul, and thereby given hearts, through the application of the Holy Spirit, that are able to lay contently in the abundant wisdom of God Almighty! For it is rightly said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Benjamin P. Glaser is a minister in the Associate Reformed Church (ARP) and serves as the pastor of the Ellisville Presbyterian Church in Ellisville, Mississippi. This article appeared on The Confessional ARP and is used with permission.