September 8, 2023 — Psalm 131

“O LORD, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time on and forevermore.”

The big surprise when we come to Psalm 131 is that this is a psalm of triumph, but G-d’s triumph looks a lot different than the world’s triumph. Instead of talking about power and wealth and fame, Psalm 131 is all about humility and contentment. Psalm 131 teaches us that the way up is actually down. Psalm 131 might seem like a step down, but this truly is a step upward to G-d. As James 4:10 says: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

How is your soul today? Is your soul quiet or disturbed? There may be any number of reasons why your soul is disturbed or agitated; crying out rather than quiet and restful. You may have a guilty conscience; you may be worried about something or envious of someone; you may be distracted or fatigued. But G-d wants you to have a quiet heart, and a soul at rest. And that is not always easy for us humans. One of the most awesome experiences in life is to quiet your soul in G-d’s presence – to know the Lord’s peace, rest, and comfort. G-d makes peace, rest and comfort available to us at all times, but we do not always take the time to feel them. We each need to take time out each and every day to find some quiet time with G-d.

Psalm 131 is only three verses, but each verse has a simple and clear instruction for us to follow every day: 1) Practice humility. 2) Learn contentment. 3) Live in hope. Those who practice humility before the Lord find contentment, and therefore rest in the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Let us Pray:

Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but, holding us with a mother’s embrace, teach us to live in quietness and humility now and forever.

Amen.

Pastor Dave