May 10

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. — Ps 39:7 BSB

True religion is a simple thing. Simplicity is reflected in all of God’s works, and especially in His work of grace. The more genuine our faith is, the simpler it becomes. To be simple is to be childlike, and to be childlike is essential for entering the kingdom of heaven. Can we, with this childlike simplicity, walk step by step with David and echo his words? Can we say, “Lord, what am I waiting for?” Has your faith been refined to this point of focus, where your soul truly waits upon God, saying, “From Him comes my salvation” and “My soul, wait only upon God, for my expectation is from Him”?

Such a state of heart comes from God alone, for no one can bring themselves to this place of spiritual simplicity. If we can truly relate to even one part of these heavenly longings, then we can also say with David, “My hope is in You.” Feeling the weight and burden of our sin, we cry out, “Deliver me from all my transgressions.” Aware of our weakness and the evil in our hearts, we add, “Do not let me become the reproach of the foolish.” If we can sincerely pray these words before God, who has produced these desires in our hearts? Surely, the same Lord who taught David must be the one teaching us; the same power that worked in him must be working in us, enabling us to experience these heartfelt cries as our own.

Here, we catch a glimpse of what true religion is—what the genuine breathings of a childlike spirit are and what the experience of a man of God looks like. It is a great mercy when we see our own spiritual journey reflected in the experience of the saints who have gone before us.