Calm Down and Trust God – Ps 131
Psalm 131 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. 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. 3 Let Israel hope in the LORD From henceforth andfor ever .
Psalm 131 is a short yet excellent Psalm. It examines what it means to ‘hope in the Lord’ and offers a vivid illustration of what contented trust looks like.
In verse 1, we see that pride is the opposite of trusting in the Lord. When our hearts are ‘haughty’, our eyes ‘lofty’ and we get involved in great matters that are too high for us, we are trying to control things that are not ours to control. Those who don’t trust in the Lord, have to trust in themselves. They have to figure everything out, and when they do, they take the credit and get lifted up in pride.
Verse 2, then perfectly illustrates the transition from prideful worry to calm trust. The person who is not trusting the Lord is liking a screaming child wanting milk. He is pridefully adamant that he cannot do without it and will cry and scream until he gets what he wants. But then, after much screaming and frustration, the child eventually quiets down and realises that actually he is fine and will be okay.
David uses this illustration of a weaned child who finally calms down to describe his trust in the Lord. It is going to be okay. The Lord is going to work things out. He does not need to fuss and fight and fret.
And notice that David says he ‘behaved and quieted himself’. David made a choice to not pridefully operate as if there is no God and he has to figure it all out on his own. He made a choice to humbly trust in the Lord, to not worry, and to be quiet, knowing that God is in control.
What picture describes your life? A fussing, worrying, demanding infant? Or a calm, well-behaving, trusting child? May God help us to calm down, trust Him, and keeping hoping in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.