“Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord – now and always.”
Psalm 131 (NLT)
Only three short verses in Psalm 131, but much to learn from David’s song.
- I must humble myself.
Humility or pride, the choice is mine. I can make decisions without consulting the Lord and end up stressed and confused. He gently reminds me He never intended for me to figure life out on my own. The job is too big for me. No wonder; it’s His job, and He is more than capable of doing it.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NLT)
2. I must quiet myself.
This kind of quiet doesn’t mean I cannot say anything; instead it speaks of calmly, contentedly trusting the Lord.
“Be still and know that I am God!”
Psalm 46:10a (NLT)
3. I must grow up.
I am thinking of my 7 month-old grandson. When he gets hungry, he has very little patience. If he wants his bottle, he wants his bottle, and nothing else will do until he has it. But when my 2 year-old grandson gets hungry, he doesn’t begin crying like his little brother; instead, he simply asks for something to eat. He has learned there is always food available when he is hungry and he doesn’t need to cry for it.
Likewise, I have known the Lord long enough to be confident of His love and faithfulness. Like a weaned child, I no longer need to become upset when I have a need. I have learned to trust the Lord.
The writer in Hebrews 5 says this, “… you have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”
The last choice I see in Psalm 131 is…
4. I must put my hope in the Lord.
David sums it up perfectly in verse 3 of Psalm 131, “…put your hope in the Lord – now and always.” His hope in the Lord enabled him to be humble, to quiet himself, and to grow.
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13
These choices are available to each of us, but it is the Lord Who gives the strength to follow through.
When my hope is in the Lord, I humble myself, I quiet myself, and I grow up.
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