Blogging the Psalms

Blogging the Psalms -- Psalm 131

Psalm 131

This is one of the first psalms my grandfather taught me. It's a small psalm but it is also a powerful psalm. For one, it's a declaration. The psalmist is declaring something, and when a Bible reader encounters this psalm, the question does come to mind: Is my heart not really haughty?

Can I answer this question honestly?

I cannot. Not really. I am generally not haughty -- unless someone else is haughty to me. And when I manage to control my haughtiness, I generally seethe silently at the arrogance of haughty people. True, God does not want his people to be stepped upon by abusive folks. True, if we were totally free from all pride, and ego, we would not be wounded by human cruelty. But, even the most humble person is wounded. Humility, however, prevents haughtiness.

The psalmist also declares that his eyes are not lofty. The question then is: Do I have arrogant eyes that look down on others? Or do I go around thinking too much of myself?

The third declaration of the psalmist is that he is like a weaned child quieting itself. Do I do that? Have I weaned myself from the world? Have I weaned myself from childish desires?

1Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

2Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

3Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.