I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

131 O Lord, 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.
² But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.

• David pictured faith as a young child, nestling against its mother, and contrasted this attitude with an arrogance which challenged God’s word.
• Pride is essentially a belief that one does not need God but is self-sufficient. He looks down on other people and overestimates his own abilities as well as his own importance. The humble person, however, has a realistic understanding of his or her capabilities and limitations.
• The ability to rest and be quiet, rather than struggling for what we want, is a sign of maturity as well as humility.
• David called on the nation to follow his example and rest in confidence that the Lord would provide what His people needed. This dependent trust is a need God’s people never outgrow.
• This psalm reminds us what it means to have faith as a child. We can trust God because he is who he is. We must trust him because we are who we are.