Passage Read: Psalm 136-139
Meditation Verse: 138:6
Thought
Though the Lord is exalted above all men and angels and all of creation, though there is no one higher, yet the Lord looks upon the lowly. Though He is the highest, yet He has little regard for the haughty, for those who think and act like they're something important or powerful or great. He truly is the greatest, but any man who thinks he is great is a fool who knows nothing. He takes on himself a status he doesn't deserve. He is a lie and a liar, so God stays far from him. But the man who recognizes that he is nothing and less than nothing, especially in comparison to the Lord, and so he honors the Lord as God, and fears and obeys Him, this is the kind of man God delights in. God loves to be around those who recognize and live according to the truth, according to reality, who see things as they are and act accordingly.
Application
Being exalted should not result in contempt for the weak and lowly. They are the ones who see more clearly what is true and real. They are the ones most worthy of care because they see themselves and God correctly. They are also the ones who need and seek help and respond with the most gratitude because they recognize how undeserving and insignificant they are. But those who think they deserve help and are ungrateful for the kindness they receive--they can't even recognize it!--even I don't like them or want to be around them! As I walk with God, I need to learn this truth, because if I am exalted among men in any way, that doesn't mean I have grown somehow better than others in substance or form. Compared to God, I'm am still less than nothing. I'm still just a man. And God's heart is to honor the small with care and concern and help, to draw near the humble not the arrogant who think highly of themselves. I likewise need to honor the humble and steer clear of the arrogant.