February 11, 2009
There is a god, and it's not me
Psalm 30
Casey Babler
Central Truth
It is a slippery slope when we begin to take the credit for our blessings and abilities instead of acknowledging that all the glory goes to God.
Key Verse | Psalm 30:6
In my self-confidence I said, “I will never be upended.” (Psalm 30:6)
Psalm 30
Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
1
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
1
30:3
Or to life, that I should not go down to the pit
4
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
2
30:4
Hebrew to the memorial of his holiness (see Exodus 3:15)
5
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
3
30:5
Or and in his favor is life
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7
By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8
To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9
“What profit is there in my death,
4
30:9
Hebrew in my blood
if I go down to the pit?
5
30:9
Or to corruption
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”
11
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 30
Self-confidence, self-reliance, self-assurance. These are all things that we strive for practically from birth. First, we want to feed ourselves, then walk by ourselves, drive ourselves, and live on our own. Our society rewards self-confidence and self-reliance, and we all seem to want them for ourselves and look for them in others. We often find our self-confidence in being wealthier, thinner, smarter, or more athletic, and then we place our security in those things that give us confidence. Just as often, we tend to forget who gives us our wealth, our looks, and all of our abilities.
In John 15:5, Jesus said, "[A]part from me you can accomplish nothing." I don't know about you, but my words and actions prove that I don't always believe that. I often pat myself on the back for my accomplishments--adding to our savings, losing a few pounds, maintaining self-control while dealing with my kids! I take credit for my abilities instead of giving the credit to God. He gave them to me and allows me to use them, but I don't acknowledge that. I stubbornly rely on what I perceive as my strengths or talents instead of relying on the One who gave them to me. As we read in today's passage, that's a dangerous attitude.
In verse 6, we hear David acknowledge the folly of self-confidence. Then, we are reminded of the danger that accompanies our pride. Pride in our prosperity, our appearance, our kids, and our abilities. All of these are gifts from God, they are not of our own making and can all disappear in an instant. Author Philip Yancey states that "we live in a web of dependence, at the center of which is God in whom all things hold together." God holds our lives together! Not our wealth or our looks or any of our abilities. He is at the center of who we are--our success, our failures, our joy, and our sadness. He is at the center of my life and is the One who holds it all together. What a relief!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you find security in your prosperity/accomplishments, or do you find your security in God?
2. Are there accomplishments or blessings in your life that you are taking the credit for instead of praising God for them?
3. How can you make things less about yourself and more about our Lord?