My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

This Psalm is a wonderful expression of peace and contentment. A lot of the people with whom I come in contact live their lives in either a constant fret and almost panic or else in a state of depression and hopelessness. There are too few contented with their circumstance in life. The great apostle Paul said he had learned to be content whatever state he was in. (I did know one preacher who said he was content in Arizona but still working on some other states.) The Psalmist had placed his undivided trust in God. He did not have to know all the answers to life. He was not proud or haughty. He was content to let God be in control. That is hard to do because we want to be in that position. We don’t want to give up the reins and let someone else control our destiny. Yet this is exactly what God wants us to do. What God really wants from each of us is absolute sinless perfection. He wants us to do his will without any misunderstanding, deviation or alteration. Yet, even before the world began God knew that we would fail to live up to his standard and so he provided a way for us to be forgiven and counted as righteous thru the death of his Son in our place. So what does God expect from us? He expects total trust in him, in his goodness and in his ability to carry it out in our lives. He does expect us to make a total commitment to him and thus give him our best, including our best efforts to live according to his will. We will make mistakes and falter along the pathway of life but God will always be there to forgive us thru his Son, lift us and give us the strength to carry on. When we can go to bed each night and wake each morning with the absolute confidence that God is with us, taking care of us and is continually forgiving us, how can we not have the peace and contentment he provides? I am afraid the answer lies in the words of Jesus to his apostles: “O you of little faith”. We must learn to trust him and live in him – to walk in his light.

Lord, increase my faith. There are times that I feel I am trusting in you without reservation and then I find myself doubting. Forgive me. At times I allow you to control me and my life and then I find myself interfering and trying to help you get it done my way. Forgive me. At times I am filled with your joy and contentment and then I find myself slipping into depths of depression. Forgive me. Help me commit my life to you and give you my very best so that your Spirit will be in total control. I pray in Jesus name.

May God bless each of us as we live in and for Christ Jesus today.