Last time we considered David’s “good confession” in verse 1 that reveals how he was able to enjoy the “sweet condition” of verse 2. What he confessed was a humility of heart and a humility of ambition.
I want to set forth a third aspect of that confession that also contributed to his personal peace and contentment. It is heard in these words, “Nor do I involve myself . . . in things too difficult for me.” Again, the attitude of humility is evident in this statement. But wherein does the humility lie in this case?
A Splendid Simplicity
It is closely connected to the previous confession in which he says does not involve himself “in great matters.” We could paraphrase, i.e., “I am not preoccupied with greatness and accomplishments.” The NET version renders it this way: “I do not involve myself in things that are beyond me”—or, as my version says, “things too difficult for me.” David is not saying that he avoided the hard tasks or challenges that life presented to him. Nor is he saying that he did not strive to grow in practical skills, service and and labor, or in wisdom and personal holiness. Rather, he is saying that he did not overestimate himself and overreach into things over which he had no control or comprehension.
He came to a humble conclusion: there are things he cannot do, there are things he has no control over, and there are things he will not understand. And from that conclusion he came to a humble application: “I will not be preoccupied with those things.” In other words, “I will not preoccupy myself with things beyond my competency, beyond my control, or beyond my comprehension.”
Now, having said that, I realize that a whole book (a thick, large, small print book!) could be written on this point! And I could feel overwhelmed trying to make it simple and plain enough in a devotional! Listen, you should know this already, but let me throw a little Biblical realism your way:
- You can do some things, but not everything! Dear moms and housewives, are you listening? There are a lot of things we cannot do, no matter how hard we try or how much we may believe we can!
- You can exercise some measure of control over yourself (by God’s grace), but everything and everyone else is out of your hands. You can’t change it (or him or her). You can’t manipulate it (or him or her). You can’t fix it. You can’t prevent it. Dear worry-worts and control freaks and manipulators, are you listening? We are not the “masters of our fate” nor the masters of others’ fate. God is! Don’t misunderstand me. I do not mean that we cannot exercise a faithful influence in the lives of others, or that we do not have duties or responsibilities toward one another, e.g., to love one another, for parents to nurture and discipline children in the Lord, for husbands to lead and love their wives, etc. But we can simply do our “duty,” the outcome is ultimately of the Lord.
- And you may know relatively a lot about this temporal world, but really, apart from what God has revealed about Himself and His ways, you are generally clueless (by divine design! read Eccl. 3:11; 7:13-14; 11:5)! Dear all of us, are we listening? I hope the application that follows will help you in this.
Yet, dear saints, it is all these things that often consume our thoughts and make our souls kick and scream!
The weaned soul is a righteously, humbly realistic soul and, as such, enjoys a gracious rest!
A Brief Application
Now, just a point in case. The word used in our text literally is, “things too wonderful [marvelous] for me” (ESV). The word is predominantly used in reference to the acts and ways of the LORD. Here is a humble submission to the Word and ways of the LORD, including His purposes and sovereign means of accomplishing them.
David gave up asking the “How, how, how’s” of God’s mysteries. He left God’s “deep things” to God. He realized they belonged to God alone (Dt. 29:29). He would bow to the ways of God revealed and leave to God what He had concealed.
David gave up asking the “Why, why, why’s” of disputing and doubting and double-guessing God’s providential dealings. He adopted Job’s posture at the end of God’s series of questions, i.e., “I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3). He ceased to challenge or chafe at the commands of God.
David gave up asking the obedience-delaying, “What if, what if, what if’s”. He took to heart what the LORD Himself said to Israel,
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your wars and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. 55:9).
He lives as Paul gladly confesses in loving adoration in Romans 11:33-34:
“How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways. For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor?”
A Closing Summation
Okay, dear ones, I have written too much already (though in another sense, too little). But let me sum up:
- A weaned soul is a cheerfully resigned soul. It is gladly yielded to God’s commandments and God’s dealings. It is glad to have the way divinely directed and divinely superintended.
- A weaned soul is a comprehensively reconciled soul. The weaned soul is reconciled—at peace with—every condition to which it is exposed under God’s dealings.
- A weaned soul is a confidently reclined soul. It has the calm confidence that though the good result is deferred, the good purpose of God will prevail.
- A weaned soul is a comfortably resting soul. It knows that there is no other place of real peace and rest than is found with God.
- A weaned soul is a convicted soul. It is convinced that the inscrutable God of providence is the wise and gracious God of creation and redemption (Packer).
Love to you all in Christ.
