"Humility is not an ideal.It is the unconscious result
of the life being rightly related to God."
~ Oswald Chambers
Humility in Suffering, Humility in Praise
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD,
Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song
on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him
from the Hand of All His Enemies
and from the Hand of Saul.
And He Said:
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
~ Psalms 18:1 (NKJV)
Thus says the LORD: "... your house and your kingdom ... [and] your throne shall be established forever." ... Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"
~ 2 Samuel 7:5,16,18 (NKJV)
Though Saul dedicated his life to murdering David, David not only refused to retaliate, but excluded Saul from his enemies when penning his final psalm forty years after Saul's death.
Such humility marked David's life. He did not see himself worthy of marrying Saul's daughter, nor later, of the messianic covenant from the Lord. He thoroughly and immediately repented when confronted with his adultery and murder, and again later after an unrighteous census. He showed compassion to women such as Abigail when she was rich and he was poor and to Rizpah when she was forlorn and he was king.
When we think of examples of patience amid suffering, we think of Job, whose suffering was intense—but short lived. David's suffering marked most of his life—persecution by his son Absalom when he was old, by King Saul when he was young, and by many brethren who hated him while he suffered unrighteously as a destitute fugitive. Physical affliction is also mentioned throughout David's psalms.
Presenting suffering next to a good God, with the exhortation "rejoice always," is a distinct challenge for this writer to do credibly. My inspiration is the suffering David, whose humility enabled his enduring praise to God.
In that final psalm of his, David affirmed amid the suffering of infirmity: The Lord is our strength, and we declare to Him, "I will love You!"
Lord, You bless and take away, and always bless amid the taking away. By Your grace and strength, my heart will forever choose to say, "Lord, blessed be Your name."
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#suffering
Image from jerusalem-4thtemple.org
This filled me. My spirit is content for the night. Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to know we share a fascination with David. And yes, it's his brokeness I most relate to. It reminds me even kings get ground down before the throne. There is so much to learn from his life alone. Bless you Anne.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I am deeply touched. I thank you sis, and I love you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Anne. It touches on something that's almost counterculture these days: the notion that praise is just as necessary when one doesn't feel like praising as when one does. We base so much on emotion these days, and experience. That's just as easy for us to do in matters of faith as it is anything else. Yet you're right, the Biblical examples of praise are often rooted in choice and will, rather than emotional whims.
ReplyDeleteMay God bless and keep you today.
God bless you for spreading his word!
ReplyDeleteDavid truly did have many difficult times in his life and yet we read so many times throughout the Psalms of how he praised God and trusted him.
Thank you for this devotional!
If I might encourage you, please check out my Web site at www.realspiritualspinach.com.
You may read excerpts from my book which is a compilations of God-centered columns that I write for the Fremont Tribune newspaper in Nebraska.
Thank you so much for spreading the Gospel!
Tammy
What a beautiful illustration of humility you are featuring her, Anne. I am so happy to be back here in your blog. May you have a blessed Sunday as I have one. :)
ReplyDeleteT. Anne, I've much more to say about David. In three volumes. Someday. I'm glad this satisfied for now. :D
ReplyDeleteDenise, I suspect you might easily fill three volumes on praise and suffering as well. My love to you.
Gwen, it indeed runs counterculture. There's a world of difference between singing on Sunday morning, "You give and take away," and saying it with joy the other 166 hours of the week.
Tammy, thanks for stopping in. I did peek in on your blog. Be encouraged to endure. This is my post #700. I didn't get regular comments the first nine months I blogged. Ask the Lord for direction and trust Him to use you as pleases Him.
Hi Grace! Nice to see you again. I pray the Lord will use this to draw you close to Him.