Read the Psalm

With a description of resting in the embrace of God, Psalm 131 is the natural extension of what was prayed in Psalm 130. His love disarms us and humbles us. As we experience His love … as we let down our guards … we let our attempts to control fall away. It is this humility of heart that is most receptive to God and His love. It is a heart of humility which continues to nurture an openness of heart that allows God’s love and presence to become more than an idea.

The opening lines of the prayer speak directly to the Lord and proclaim the desire to abide in humility. Three phrases give voice to this desire, and they encompass heart, mind, and body. 

First, humility is nurtured by a “heart that is not lifted up.” In other words, a heart that does not demand things be a certain way. Our challenge as we walk this journey with Christ is often one of expectations. We want what we want when we want it. We were made with an ability to expect or anticipate things, but this becomes problematic when they turn into demands. The invitation for our heart in humility is to desire God above all else. This roots and grounds us. 

Second, we abide in humility as our “eyes are not raised too high.” This relates to the way we think about and perceive ourselves as well as the world around us. Our eyes represent where our thoughts are focused. Thoughts “raised too high” is the dilemma the Apostle Paul writes about in Romans 12:3, “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.” A sober mind is a humble mind that looks to the Lord as the reference point for all things. The context of Romans 12 is relationships in the body of Christ which highlights that humble thinking also extends to the way we see others in relation to God. In the context of love, we see ourselves and others as beloved sons and daughters – all with gifts to share.

Third, we deepen in humility as we stay in our lane: “do not occupy [ourselves] with things too great and too marvelous for [us].” The word “occupy” is a Hebrew word (halak) which literally mean one’s walk or way of life. The humility here is that our way of life is consistent with who we are. On the one hand, we can have grandiose ideas of who we are and our gifts – involving ourselves in things beyond our bandwidth. Perhaps we’ve never considered it this way, but could our overworking and overachieving be going beyond our created design? A humble way of life is a boundaried, purposeful existence. In 1 Timothy 2:2, it is written that we should pray for those in authority” that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” 

Humility … we are led there by God’s grace, and nurturing humility helps us abide in that grace and love. Andrew Murray, the great writer on prayer, wrote: “Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him as God to do all.” As we will see in further reflection on this psalm, humility allows a restfulness because we know we are the beloved of God. (see also Psalm 127:2)

Attributed to St. Patrick, this prayer exemplifies the humility that comes from the love of God and also opens us again and again to His love:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Reflection questions: in what ways can you see humility present in your life? How has God’s love humbled you? Are there areas (heart, mind, or body) in which you are being led to embrace and nurture humility?

Prayer: “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.” Amen.