“Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved’” Psalm 30:6
O what a precarious thing it is for a Christian to be prosperous. If one is given financial abundance, or excellent health, or social prominence, or much grace in spiritual gifts, or a happy disposition, then often the most likely and dreadful response will be a presumptuous, “I shall never be moved.” We actually begin to believe that the abundance or prosperity we enjoy is due to our own natural powers and ability. Our entire sense of dependence upon God fades and it is replaced with an ugly self-confidence.
David, who penned this Psalm, came to know this truth very well. Earlier in his life, he suffered much persecution and affliction from King Saul who tried several times to take David’s life. And although God delivered him on every occasion, David became so low at one point that he thought to himself, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul” (1 Samuel 27:1). David’s terrible difficulties with Saul were used by God to show him his helplessness and need for complete reliance upon God. In recalling that time in Psalm 18, David wrote, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God… He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy” (verses 6,16,17). In this way and this way only, David stopped placing his confidence in himself and trusted more deeply and fully upon God than he had ever done before.
This seeking and trusting led to a more intimate walk with God because David sought out God’s comfort and counsel in His Word through prayer. As such he could write, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11), and “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (verse 75). In this way, David’s conscience became very sensitive, not wanting to offend God in any way.
On one occasion, David had the opportunity to kill Saul when He came into the cave where David and his men were hiding. His men urged him on and David secretly cut off part of Saul’s robe, but “it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe” (1 Samuel 24:5). David’s conscience was so tender at this point in his life that he couldn’t even bear the thought of this one act of touching Saul’s garment.
There would come a later time in David’s life when it would not be this way. Saul would die in battle and David would ascend the throne of Israel having conquered many of his enemies. We then read that “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel… but David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). David had entered into a time of prosperity and tranquility. Instead of the difficulties and afflictions of hiding in caves and the wilderness, David would be in his comfortable palace. Instead of his being at his rightful place with the army in the field, David was idly and lustfully looking out from his rooftop on beautiful Bathsheba.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “No temptation is so bad as tranquility.” And so it was for King David whose subsequent terrible fall into adultery, murder and cover-up are well known. His conscience had become dulled because he had fallen into the trap of self-sufficiency and subsequent lack of utterly leaning upon God.
Beloved Christian, has God prospered you in some area of your life? Has this blessing resulted in a lessening of your sense of dependence upon God? O be careful! The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls” (10:12). Pray that God will deliver you from temptation while He tests you with this blessing. Never forget that we are nothing and can do nothing apart from His gracious provision.
But perhaps instead of prospering you, God has removed your ease and tranquility. Christian, God has not abandoned you. He wants you to depend solely upon Him, to humble you and wean you from the love of this world. O you must “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). Let us learn to bless God for our afflictions and to know that without His loving discipline we would begin to imagine that we “shall never be moved.”
“Afflictions, though they seem severe.
In mercy oft are sent"
O what a precarious thing it is for a Christian to be prosperous. If one is given financial abundance, or excellent health, or social prominence, or much grace in spiritual gifts, or a happy disposition, then often the most likely and dreadful response will be a presumptuous, “I shall never be moved.” We actually begin to believe that the abundance or prosperity we enjoy is due to our own natural powers and ability. Our entire sense of dependence upon God fades and it is replaced with an ugly self-confidence.
David, who penned this Psalm, came to know this truth very well. Earlier in his life, he suffered much persecution and affliction from King Saul who tried several times to take David’s life. And although God delivered him on every occasion, David became so low at one point that he thought to himself, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul” (1 Samuel 27:1). David’s terrible difficulties with Saul were used by God to show him his helplessness and need for complete reliance upon God. In recalling that time in Psalm 18, David wrote, “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God… He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy” (verses 6,16,17). In this way and this way only, David stopped placing his confidence in himself and trusted more deeply and fully upon God than he had ever done before.
This seeking and trusting led to a more intimate walk with God because David sought out God’s comfort and counsel in His Word through prayer. As such he could write, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11), and “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (verse 75). In this way, David’s conscience became very sensitive, not wanting to offend God in any way.
On one occasion, David had the opportunity to kill Saul when He came into the cave where David and his men were hiding. His men urged him on and David secretly cut off part of Saul’s robe, but “it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe” (1 Samuel 24:5). David’s conscience was so tender at this point in his life that he couldn’t even bear the thought of this one act of touching Saul’s garment.
There would come a later time in David’s life when it would not be this way. Saul would die in battle and David would ascend the throne of Israel having conquered many of his enemies. We then read that “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel… but David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). David had entered into a time of prosperity and tranquility. Instead of the difficulties and afflictions of hiding in caves and the wilderness, David would be in his comfortable palace. Instead of his being at his rightful place with the army in the field, David was idly and lustfully looking out from his rooftop on beautiful Bathsheba.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “No temptation is so bad as tranquility.” And so it was for King David whose subsequent terrible fall into adultery, murder and cover-up are well known. His conscience had become dulled because he had fallen into the trap of self-sufficiency and subsequent lack of utterly leaning upon God.
Beloved Christian, has God prospered you in some area of your life? Has this blessing resulted in a lessening of your sense of dependence upon God? O be careful! The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls” (10:12). Pray that God will deliver you from temptation while He tests you with this blessing. Never forget that we are nothing and can do nothing apart from His gracious provision.
But perhaps instead of prospering you, God has removed your ease and tranquility. Christian, God has not abandoned you. He wants you to depend solely upon Him, to humble you and wean you from the love of this world. O you must “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). Let us learn to bless God for our afflictions and to know that without His loving discipline we would begin to imagine that we “shall never be moved.”
“Afflictions, though they seem severe.
In mercy oft are sent"