Psalm 21:1-7

Psalm 21:1-7 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When I am king, I think I'll be tempted to forget where I came from.  I'll probably just sit around and think about what a great person I am.  I'll be like King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, who walks out one day, on his balcony and says, "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!”  At this point in the story, God judges the King and finds him wanting, and things don't go well for him after that.  For the next 7 years, he wanders around and eats grass like an ox, before he finally wises up and realizes that God is the true King and Author.
  The wise king, like the wise person, directs all glory to God, no matter how well things are going in life.  When we're on the top of the mountain, the temptation is to think about what a great job we've done climbing the mountain.  The wise one recognizes that not only did God make the mountain, but also that God enabled us to climb, giving us tremendous blessings that allowed us to take the journey step by step.  God's glory is at work in the world around us, and no matter where we are in life, having the discipline to remember that it is God and God alone that blesses us and deserves the praise will serve us well.  It keeps us humble and it keeps us grateful, and keeps our soul oriented towards our truest love, the one who wants the best for us, that knows us intimately and eternally, that knit us together and redeems us for eternity.