Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Psalms 131:1-3 -- On Quieting Ourselves

"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.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever."
Psalms 131:1-3


Although this is only three verses, it is actually the entire psalm.   I think it is very interesting and childlike.  It talks about not being haughty, and that things are "too high" for us.  It talks about behaving and being quiet, and I get this mental picture of a little child talking to a parent, saying that they didn't try to turn on the stove because they know they shouldn't, and that they have been trying to be good.  And then it talks about hope.  And to me, it seems like the hope is inherent in that humility.  On that ability we have to recognize that we really are children compared to God, and that willingness to be humble and teachable... to come before the Lord with this attitude and not demand things or ask to get our own way... but just to say, I am trying to be good, and trying to listen.  I'm trying to control my own terror, and trust thee to help me learn to be better and stronger and to know how to grow up.
Today, let's see if we can get our egos out of the way.  Let's see if we can let go of our pride and our need to be right, and see if we can really come before the Lord in perfect simplicity and humility.  Can we work at behaving and at being quiet, and not trying to control things?  ... That's tough.  But I think that if we can, there is a lot of hope for us.  If we can let go of that voice inside that is always screaming "me, me, me" and quiet ourselves, we'll be able to listen to what God has in store... which is always, always better than the demands that some part of us keeps screaming.  Let's remember to let the Lord deal with the things we can't.  We definitely need to work on the things that we can... like behaving and being quiet, and probably a few others. :)  But there are things that we also need to let go of and not try to control.  Like quieting most of our stress and worry for the future, perhaps.  Let's believe and trust and obey as children before the Lord.  God is worthy of that kind of trust, and he will help us become our best selves if we approach him in humility.

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