Psalm 131-12.8.22

Scripture‬

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Psalm‬ ‭131‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“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.”

Observation-What does it say?

This is a psalm of David. It shows David’s spiritual maturity. David remains humble, knowing that God is sovereign over all. There is no need for him to worry and stress out, because God has everything under control.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Being content in God’s presence.

I like the illustration David gives the reader here regarding the peace, comfort, and hope he has knowing that God is in control. He compares himself to a weaned child, no longer in constant need of his mother’s milk (vs. 2). You see, a child that isn’t weaned, is in constant need of attention. They cry and whine, and they have a sense of insecurity over every little thing. It can really test a parent’s patience. Trust me I know from experience! 😆 But once a child is weaned, they no longer have that need to be constantly held and coddled to. They don’t need their parent to put a bottle in their mouth, or give them their pacifier to calm them down. They don’t need their parent to rock them back and forth, singing them a lullaby to put them at ease. The child is able to find peace just being in their parent’s presence, and knowing that they are loved. It can be a difficult process for a parent to wean their child, but it’s a necessary process for the child’s development and maturity.

The same can be said here with David’s relationship with God, and our relationship with God. God is our Father in Heaven. And we too must be weaned so that we can develop and mature in our faith. There will be difficult situations we face in life that God allows us to go through. But, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us or care for us. It doesn’t mean that He isn’t there either. But rather God is right there, alongside with us. We need to carry that attitude that David has in this psalm. That is an attitude of contentment no matter what we’re going through because we know we serve the God of the universe. He is a God who is in control over every situation. He is a God who loves us, and will never leave us or forsake us.

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” -Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬ ‭

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. -Deuteronomy ‬31‬:‭6‬ ‭

Life Application

Just do your best and allow God to handle the rest.

It’s a motto or mantra that I live by. It reminds me, (especially in those stressful times in life), that there are going to be some things in life that are beyond my control. All I can do is do is do my best with what I can control, and trust that God will handle the rest. So what can I control? I can control my attitude. I can control my heart from sinning against God. I can give my concerns to Him. I can continue to move forward, doing my best one task at a time, one day at a time. 😊

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”-Psalms‬ ‭55‬:‭22‬ ‭

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭

-Moses Gaddi