CHILD-LIKE TRUST

(Psalm 131)

...Children have the tendency to __believe___ what their parents tell them.  I remember my father telling me that the sun set behind Karl Kendall’s garage!  Also, that a fat man in a _red___  __suit__ would come visit us.

...Did you know that one of the marks of a spiritually mature Christian is to be _like__ a child?

   Just as a child trusts, so should we.

...David wrote this Psalm telling of his child-like trust, his hope in the Lord.  Spurgeon said this Psalm is, “A short

   ladder yet one that rises to great height.”  “It is an easy Psalm with a _hard_ lesson.”

TWO ESSENTIALS ENABLING US TO BE CONTENTED

CHILDREN TRUSTING THE LORD.

I.   _HUMILITY__  MUST MARK US IF WE ARE TO BE CHILDREN WHO BELIEVE GOD. (v 1-2)

            A. David inspects his life and reports negatively what’s not there. (v 1)

                        1. _Pride_ is now gone, he had learned to subdue it.

                                    a. Pride is having a _bigger__ picture of yourself than you ought.  It is

                                        essentially independence from and disobedience to God.

                                    b. We normally do not think of _David__ as prideful.

                                    c. Proverbs 3:34 - “He mocks proud mockers, but gives grace to the humble.”

                                    d. Both James (4:6) and Peter (5:5) quote this.

                        2. _Arrogance_ no longer filled his eyes.

                                    a. Arrogance is an _expression_ of pride.

                                    b. “Haughty” comes from “high.”  He does not look down on other people.

                        3. _Ambition__ for personal gain must be crucified.

                                    a. Overcoming ambition does not mean not wanting to achieve anything.  No!

                                    b. David allowed God to give him the kingdom of Israel in God’s _own_ time and way.

                                    c. The ambition that is wrong seeks to get everything we can for _ourselves_, at

                                        whatever cost, for __our___ glory.

                                    d. David is saying he had learned that he did not have to _understand_ everything God

                                        was doing in his life or know _when__ He would do it.  All he really had to do was

                                        __trust__ God. (Deut 29:29)

            B. David tells how he learned to trust God and be satisfied. (v 2)

                        1. To be “weaned” is the difficult process in which a child is _broken__ of its dependence on

                            its mother’s milk and is taught to take other foods instead.

                        2. Weaning is usually accompanied by resistance and _struggle__ on the child’s part, even

                            tears.  It is difficult for the mother.  Weaning is _necessary__ if the child is to mature.

                        3. David is telling that he has come through the weaning process and has learned to trust God to _care_ for him and _provide__ for him, not on David’s terms, but on God’s terms.

                        4. Before he was weaned, David wanted God only for what he could __get__ from Him.

                            ...After weaned, he learned that God loved him and would care for him.

                        5. Now David finds deep _contentment_ and satisfaction by merely being near God.

II.  _HOPE_  ALSO MUST MARK NOT ONLY US BUT ALL BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE. (v 3)

            A. This is a very personal Psalm.  Yet, David does _not__ keep all this to himself.

                 ...If he needed this, so did __all__ those around him. (Israel)

            B. Now he challenges them to _learn___ what he had learned, to put their hope in the Lord.

                 ...For only God is utterly __worthy__ of our hope and He will never disappoint us.

LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES:

1. You and I must work at being child-like in our trusting the Lord.

2. Learn to hate pride.

3. Contentment is what Christ gives to His children.

4. Have you discovered that most things in this world are beyond your understanding?

5. Come to Christ today with child-like trust if you have never been saved.