I do not occupy myself with things too great
& too marvelous for me.
Psalm 131:1
We serve a miracle-working God. I've witnessed a few (though not as many as I asked for, to be honest.) Our church is currently seeing multiple answers to prayer and healing in recent weeks, and I could not be more grateful to see God on display in all of His glory in these instances. He is amazing.
God does not, however, always do exactly what we ask. He does what is best for our good and His glory. Sometimes, that means we don't get the miracle we're asking for. Instead, we get the presence of God with us through the struggle and trust He's doing something we don't understand in the waiting.
This verse in our Psalm has me thinking about miracles and what David, the psalmist, meant by these few lines. We have to first acknowledge that he is the one who said, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1,2) But in this instance he's like, "whoa, not that high... eyes down here a bit, David." Many teach this to mean he is not arrogant. He continues with a claim that he doesn't dwell on things that are too great or marvelous for him. David is squarely focused on humility.
What does that mean practically for us who want to calm and quiet our souls like the psalm leads us to do? How does humility calm our faith and our expectation, the very thing we are believing God for?
This is so convicting to me I can't even tell you. By "we" I literally mean "me" because this is my struggle - this presumptuous faith that believes that God can do anything but overlooks that I should do something. While we're being painfully honest, I'll give you my example. I have struggled with an auto-immune issue for a couple of years. It came with a lot of debt and not a lot of answers. But really... I know. I know what triggers it, and I can take steps to mitigate its effects on my body. Do I pray God will heal me? Often. Do I do what I can to help myself feel better? Sometimes... actually less than sometimes.
Isn't that arrogant? To think I can live whatever way I want to, and put it all on God to heal me? Isn't it presumptuous to look to God for what I need to such a degree that I overlook my own part of the answer? What if I just do what I ought to do, and in doing so I don't actually need a miracle? What if all I need to be is faithful in the little things? What if I were just a better steward of my body, my finances, my relationships and didn't entertain the idea that God would do something supernatural to make up for my negligence?
Ugh
I wonder how many miracles we would really need if we just did the right things consistently. Would we need a miracle for our health if we ate right or were more active? Would we need a miracle for our finances if we tithed and lived on a budget? Would we need a miracle for fractures in our families and other relationships if we just sought out counseling or spoke the truth in love better?
Some people live from one crisis to another, from one "God please help me!" to the next. It doesn't speak of a calmer faith, does it? When our issues escalate to frenzied crises time after time, our faith gets frantic as well. A calmer faith owns our part of the issue. A calmer faith doesn't expect God to bail us out of our calculated disasters. A calmer faith calls on Him when we've done all we can do.
If you face a crisis and need a miracle, lift up your eyes to the Lord - that is where your help comes from. Never hesitate to bring your burdens to Him in prayer. But in lifting our eyes to Him, let's not lift them so high we don't see the answers right in front of us. Let's not assume that miracle after miracle is at our disposal. Eyes up, but not that high. Miracles possible, but not always necessary.
I'm learning the grace of owning my responsibility over these situations and the humility of faithfulness in the little things. It's not easy undoing a lifetime of habits, but you know what... it's a calmer faith, a calmer life. What a miracle!