Some devotional thoughts from Psalm 131
Psalm 131 A Song of degrees of David. 1Lord, My heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 2Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, As a child that is weaned of his mother: My soul is even as a weaned child. 3Let Israel hope in the Lord From henceforth and for ever.
Are you feeling more stressed lately?
I suppose we all have.
Combine COVID, conflict in the cities, catastrophes, and our country’s election how could we not feel more anxiety?
David said, “surely I have behaved and quieted myself”
David caught some calm! I need to catch some too, how about you?
Perhaps in today’s Psalm, there is a prescription from the Lord to help us in these times of uncertainty.
Before we begin, let’s look at what Charles Spurgeon said about this Psalm.
“Comparing all the Psalms to gems, we should liken this to a pearl: how beautifully it will adorn the neck of patience. It is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn. It speaks of a young child, but it contains the experience of a man in Christ… it is a short ladder, if we count the words; but yet it rises to a great height, reaching from deep humility to fixed confidence.”[1]
Here are some observations in which Psalm 131 can help us catch some calm and help with all this anxiety.
1. Stop Taking On Too Much
Psalm 131:1 Lord, My heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
I have often found that my ambition is greater than my ability. Many times, I want a load that my Lord knows that I can’t carry and isn’t that coming from pride? If we want to do like David and quiet ourselves we must master our ambitions.
2. Stop Worrying About Things We Can’t Change
Psalm 131:1 Lord, My heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
David recognized that getting all worked up over too many things specifically the stuff beyond his ability to manage was detrimental.
How often do we worry about things that we can’t change? Has it ever helped? The obvious answer is no!
Corrie Ten Boom famously said,
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength, carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."
I believe it would be very wise if we would fix the things that we can and leave those things that we can’t to our Great God to manage.
3. Don’t Skip Quiet Time
Psalm 131:2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, As a child that is weaned of his mother: My soul is even as a weaned child.
No wonder we miss out on the comfort God has promised, we won’t slow down to listen for his voice. The best way to destress is to simply rest in some time with your loving Lord!
4. Be Less Demanding But Dependent Still
Psalm 131:2–3 2Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, As a child that is weaned of his mother: My soul is even as a weaned child. 3Let Israel hope in the Lord From henceforth and for ever.
David compares himself to a weaned child no longer demanding milk from mother’s breast but still a child in need of care. We must learn to rely upon our Lord with patience. He has provided in the past and he will do so again.
I also love what Tim Keller said about the comparison to a weaned child.
A child who has been “weaned” (verse 2), however, and no longer nurses, is content just to be with its mother, enjoying her closeness and love without wanting anything else. We so often approach God only for what he can give, rather than simply to rest in his presence.[2]
As we grow closer to our Heavenly Father, we discover there is much more in the closeness to him than just what he can give. We may walk through difficult times, but we walk with one who is truly wonderful.
That is all I have time for today, I hope we will try to calm ourselves as this Psalm prescribes.
David caught some calm, let’s go catch some too, ok?
Readings for 11/24/20
[1] Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, p. 136). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers. [2] Keller, T., & Keller, K. (2015). The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms (p. 337). New York: Redeemer; Viking.