I Have Calmed and Quieted Myself
Date: September 19, 2024
I use the BLESS method every morning for my devotional.
B - Bible Verse
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray
E - Explore the History and meaning
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
S - Summarize and Share
B - Bible Verse in NIV (Psalm 131:1-2) My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray Heavenly Father, teach us the humility and contentment described in this psalm. Help us to quiet our restless hearts and find peace in Your presence. May we learn to trust You with the things that are beyond our understanding. Grant us the grace to be content, resting in Your love like a child with its mother. In Jesus' name, Amen.
E - Explore the History and meaning This psalm is attributed to David and is one of the Songs of Ascents, likely sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for festivals. It expresses a humble, childlike trust in God, contrasting with pride and over-ambition. The image of a weaned child represents maturity in faith, no longer demanding but content in the presence of God.
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
"Heart is not proud" - Indicates humility and lack of arrogance
"Calmed and quieted myself" - Describes active self-discipline in seeking peace
"Like a weaned child" - Symbolizes contentment and mature dependence on God
S - Summarize and Share (Surrendered Hearts theme) Oh, my dear friends, isn't this psalm a beautiful picture of what a surrendered heart looks like? In just a few short lines, David paints for us a portrait of humility, trust, and contentment that speaks right to our often-restless souls.
You know, in our world today, we're constantly bombarded with messages telling us to strive for more, to be the best, to have it all figured out. But here, David shows us a different way – a way of surrendering our pride and our need to understand everything.
When David says his heart is not proud and his eyes are not haughty, he's describing a heart that's fully surrendered to God. It's a heart that's not always trying to prove itself or compete with others. Instead, it's a heart that's found its worth and identity in God's love.
And then he says something really powerful: "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me." Isn't that freeing? In a world where we often feel pressured to have an opinion on everything, to understand all the complexities of life, David reminds us that it's okay not to have all the answers. Some things are just too wonderful, too big for us to fully grasp – and that's okay. We can surrender those things to God.
But my favorite part is when David describes himself as a weaned child with its mother. Picture that for a moment – a young child, content just to be in its mother's presence. Not fussing, not demanding, just peacefully resting. That's the kind of contentment and trust God invites us into.
Living with a surrendered heart means actively choosing to calm and quiet ourselves, just as David did. It's not always easy in our noisy, busy world, is it? But when we make that choice to surrender our striving, our worrying, our need to control – that's when we find true peace.
So today, let's ask ourselves: Where in our lives do we need to surrender our pride? What "great matters" are we obsessing over that we need to entrust to God? How can we calm and quiet ourselves, finding that childlike contentment in God's presence?
Remember, dear ones, a surrendered heart is not a weak heart. It's a heart that's strong enough to humble itself, wise enough to know its limits, and secure enough to find rest in God's love. May we all grow in this beautiful, surrendered contentment.
3 Bible Cross References:
Matthew 18:3-4
Philippians 4:11-13
1 Peter 5:6-7
Question for the audience: What's one thing you can "surrender" to God today to experience more of the peace and contentment David describes? Share your thought in the comments – your idea might encourage someone else to take a step towards a more surrendered heart!