HUMILITY, CONTENTMENT, AND HOPE

Sim Kay Tee, a writer for Our Daily Bread, had an interesting insight concerning Psalm 131, which says:

"LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever."

Sim Kay Tee described verse one of David's Psalm as describing the humility one gains when he finally comes to realize that God, in many ways, is beyond our understanding. He then referenced five passages that show God's ways are incomprehensible:

Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law."

Job 42:3 "Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not."

Ecclesiastes 11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Romans 11:33-34 "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been His counsellor?"

When it comes right down to it, all that man can really know about the things of God has been revealed to him by God. There is a saying that describes this very clearly: "God has revealed all that we need to know about all that we need to know." The Bible, God's revelation to man, sets the boundaries of our knowledge. To speculate about things of God, beyond that which is revealed in Scripture, is vanity, nothing more than pride (1 Cor. 3:18-20: Col. 2:8, 18; 1 Tim. 1:6-7; 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:16; Titus 3:9; etc.).

Our knowledge of God produces humility. Our trust in God produces contentment and hope, contentment in this life (Phil 4:11; Heb. 13:5; etc.), and hope for the next (Rom. 15:13; Titus 2:13; Heb. 6:18; etc.).