Psalm 131: Humility, Contentment & Joy
WORSHIP
LAUDS
Written by Rev. Dr. Justin Fung
Read Psalm 131
Psalm 131 is one of my favorite psalms. It’s short—only three verses—but it paints a beautiful, peaceful picture of a soul at rest, something I think we all long for in these troubled times.
David, the psalmist, begins: "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." There is a sense of self that the psalmist has, which allows him to not strive unduly. He is not giving up the desire to pursue wonderful or marvelous or amazing things, as if he’s constricted. Instead, he’s demonstrating true humility—the word ‘humility’ comes from the Latin word humus, meaning ‘dirt’ or ‘earth,’ the word from which ‘humanity’ also originates. When we are humble, we are grounded, rooted, centered.
The palmist recognizes the dangers of pride and arrogance, of pretending to be more than we are and of striving for what we don’t yet have. And he actively chooses to reject both. Instead, he embraces a posture of humility, acknowledging his limitations and trusting that God is in control of the things beyond his understanding. “Can we trust God?” is a question I try to answer with “Yes” every day, but it’s rarely easy. We all struggle with the desire to control every aspect and every outcome of our lives, to be like God, in a sense. The invitation is, instead, to humility—to know who we are and who we are not.
Verse two offers an image of contentment: "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." A weaned child is one who no longer depends on their mother for immediate sustenance but finds comfort in simply being in her presence. Similarly, David has learned to find peace and contentment in the presence of God, rather than in the pursuit of his own desires.
But this too is not easy. I once heard weaning described as a process of small disappointments that are necessary so the child can grow up. A child cannot nurse for ever, should not nurse for ever. And, inevitably, when we shift from one way of being to another, when we encounter things that are harder or more broken or just not how we would like them to be, sometimes the invitation is to change them, sometimes to fight them, sometimes to let go. But always, the invitation, as we grow up, is to face the reality before us, not the one we used to have nor the one we would like, and to seek our contentment in God alone.
Finally, in the third verse, David implores his people, and by extension, us, to "hope in the LORD from this time on and forevermore." The call to hope is personal and communal. The call to trust in God, to trust God, is for the people of God always. Because the current more often than not flows in other directions: trust yourself, trust your effort, trust this politician, trust in money or material goods, trust in your work. Those things can be good and blessed, but when they take the place of the Giver, they become false gods, things that will never truly fulfill and can only ever disappoint in any ultimate sense.
The psalmist discovered, to paraphrase St Augustine, “Our souls are restless until they find their rest in [God].” The psalmist found peace in God. And he invites all of us to do the same. Our hope is not in our own abilities or achievements, but in the steadfast love and faithfulness of a good God.
Psalm 131 teaches us the importance of humility, contentment, and trust in God. It challenges us to quiet our restless hearts and to find peace in God's presence, trusting in the love of the One who made us.
Reflection:
THINK:
In what areas of your life are you struggling with pride or a desire for control? How can you surrender these areas to God?
Where might you be struggling with disappointment, something that didn’t turn out the way you hoped?
DO:
Identify one thing you can do this week to let go of control and trust in God's plan. It could be a specific decision or an aspect of your daily routine.
Practice a moment—two to five minutes—of stillness each day, spending time in God's presence without an agenda, simply resting in the presence of the Divine Community.
PRAY:
Ask God to help you cultivate humility—a deeper, grounded sense of knowing who you are and who you are not.
Pray for healing from the hurts, heartaches, and humiliations, so that you might find true rest and peace in God.
VESPERS
A Song for Going in Humility and Hope
Written by Sarah Bell
The Christian life is a climb - a journey of constant growth, maturing, sacrifice, and trusting God for what we cannot see. The Psalms of Ascent offer us a guide for our journey. Psalm 131 particularly demonstrates how we come to God and how to posture our hearts as we walk with Him. It's important that we savor the richness of these three verses together.
Centering Exercise
For a moment, take a deep breath in, hold it, now let it out for a slow count of 1 - 2 - 3.
Feel the beat of your heart. Pay attention to how you are either sitting or standing. Try to release any tension in your shoulders and hips. Notice the temperature of the air around you. The physical and spiritual posture of our body and soul matter here and now.
Devotion
When you read the first line of Psalm 131, “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up”, the psalmist is referring to having a posture of humility. In the Old Testament, the metaphor of the lifted heart describes haughtiness or pride: “All those who are arrogant (literally, “all of lifted heart”) are an abomination to the Lord; be assured they will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5). Therefore the psalmist declares his humility by testifying to the lowness of his heart and eyes.
Psalm 131 may have been used either by the people of Israel going to Jerusalem or by Levites as they went up the steps of the Temple. Either way, the physical “ascent” required a spiritual awareness: “a heart not lifted up, eyes not raised too high”, but led them to have an inner posture of worship.
I imagine this 3 verse song was sung on repeat as the people of Israel faced unknown challenges, were tempted to be proud, and needed to remind themselves of the true hope and peace that only came from God through a humble spirit.
Verse two offers another rich metaphor to describe the state of the psalmist’s soul: calm and quiet, “like a weaned child with its mother”. The choice of a weaned child versus a nursing child is worthy of our attention. The idea of a nursing infant would suggest total dependence of the infant on the mother. The prophet Isaiah uses that image several times to remind us that God is more faithful than the mother who will not forsake her nursing child (Isa. 49:15). God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Deut 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5). By contrast, the weaned child has some experience of the world. Having left the constant protection and provision of its mother, they have learned that such comfort and shelter cannot persist uninterrupted. Food is not always easily provided or safety always within reach, but the child can still return to the comfort and reassurance of its mother, a comfort now rendered more profound due to the encounters of the world and the impacts on their soul.
The psalmist has allowed his soul a moment of respite due to the experiences of life. He testifies of God’s hope alongside the cruelties of the world. His anxiety is quelled and he is freed to exhort all of Israel to embrace innocence, hoping in the Lord forever.
In the chapter before (Psalm 130), the psalmist is at a lower place, being pulled back by the weight of sin, so they call on the hope that God’s faithful love will redeem their iniquities, giving Him glory and honor for the redemption to come. By chapter 131, the psalmist’s posture has been renewed, focusing on that of a humble heart as the best posture for ascending. It reminds the singer to rest in their trust in God. In place of pride, God gives the quiet peace of a connected soul.
We have all probably experienced a disconnected soul at some point in our lives. It can manifest in a host of different ways: harshness, irritability, frustration…pride makes us cast our hopes on something or someone other than God, which leads to a weary, restless and noisy soul. The Good News is that Jesus came to give us peace. He modeled humility and demonstrated how to have a calm and quiet soul. He took time to rest and have a posture of peace. This theme is woven throughout the Gospels. He longs for you to also have a calm and quiet soul that hopes in Him forever!
Reflection
As you reflect, think about adopting a physical posture or rhythm that may help you shift the inner attitude of your mind and soul.
Where do you feel pride pulling you away from God’s presence?
How is God asking you to practice humility and trust in Him?
What places can you go to or what activities can you do to adopt a calm and quiet soul in your season of life?
Breathe Prayer
Inhale: I find rest
Exhale: in your shelter
Inhale: You surround me with love
Exhale: And tender mercies
Inhale: Lord, give me
Exhale: with a calm and quite soul
Inhale: I can be still
Exhale: And know that you are God
Amen.
