Psalm 131
It’s possible that you’ve
never noticed Psalm 131 before. It only has
three verses, so you might tend to overlook it as being not very important. But
that would be a mistake because this little chorus by David is quite
powerful. Rev. Charles Spurgeon said
that this Psalm is “one of the shortest to read, but one of the longest to
learn.”
I.
Humility – The Spirit of Gratitude - v1a
A core part of true thanksgiving is
understanding that I am not the full source of my blessings.
An overdeveloped sense of
entitlement blocks gratitude.
II.
Honesty - The Attitude of Gratitude - v1b
Arrogance and pride lead to
advertising one’s ignorance.
Meddlers are people who butt into other
people’s lives with shallow advice on deep matters they know little
about seeking praise for their wisdom.
To know God, ourselves
and our duty is our responsibility.
All else belongs to God.
III.
Happiness - The Condition of Gratitude - v2
Happiness requires contentment.
The first lesson in the school of
life: growing up involves painful losses that can lead to wonderful
gains.
To be weaned is to have
something removed from your life which you thought you couldn’t live without.
How God Weans Us
from the World
1.
He
makes the things of the world bitter to us.
2.
He
removes one by one the things on which we depend.
3.
He
gives us something better.
IV.
Hope –
The Result of Gratitude - v3
Real hope is to place your faith in someone
not something.
Our present circumstances are the womb
out of which new blessings and opportunities will be born. Romans 8:28.
If you are not looking forward
to the future as a Christian you can't enjoy the present or be grateful
for your past.
