Well, I invite you to turn this morning to Psalm 131, Psalm 131. It's a whopping three verses, so it won't be a long reading today. When I told the family I was reading, I'm going to preach on Psalm 131, and I read it for dinner, and they said, Dad, what are you going to say? Never ask a preacher that, kids. Never ask a preacher that. Psalm 131. We're going to consider today. I'm going to read these three verses. This is the word of the Lord. A song of a sense of David. 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. But I've calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. And that is Psalm 131. I thought it would be helpful today. The plans are after summer break here that once school year starts that we'll get back into start the book of Hebrews. That's my goal. But I thought that today it would be helpful to have a follow-up sermon after that series on the book of Ruth. Considering the important question, how do we trust God? How do we trust God? That was the major call of the book of Ruth. an exposure really of a lack of trust in Israel. And that's what we spent the last week studying and considering and considering all the hardship that follows in people's lives because they have taken it upon themselves to not trust the Lord and try to solve all of humanity's problems and their life problems by doing what's right in their own eyes. There were very difficult things that Naomi suffered in that book based on bad decisions, based on decisions to not trust the Lord. And we looked at all that. And by the end of the book, what a surprising, beautiful ending as Naomi is holding a child of promise, as Naomi is holding a covenant child of the Lord's favor and blessing and help. And her joy was returned to her. She had learned a lot along the way. How foolish it is to not trust the Lord. He provided for her, and he provided for Ruth the whole way, and his gracious care and his gracious provision never ceased in caring for them. That's the marvel of the book of Ruth. But I want to move on from that exposure of a lack of trust, which I think pastors are always good at exposing the problem and not always giving the solution. We have a difficulty sometimes with that. And this particular passage today helps us with a help to you, a solution in how to really trust the Lord. What we're up against. What's difficult in doing that. What are the things that get in the way of trusting the Lord? This particular psalm really helps us today in that regard. It's a big question. How to trust God. And that's why Psalm 131 is so important. I couldn't get away from it. It's a little diamond in the rough, even though this rough is glorious everywhere. Really, the key of the Psalter, this particular Psalm, is with this question of how to trust God. How do we do it? That's a difficult thing to do, to trust in the Lord, Proverbs 3, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he'll be the directing one throughout the course of life. How do we trust him? And that's what I want to consider today, this blessing of learning to trust God, a life of contentment and peace, and learning to trust him to motivate you to it because as we study with Ruth, and as you all know in your lives, we often suffer a lot of hardship, a lot of difficulty bringing things on ourselves through the choices that we've made because we have tried to be independent actors in our lives, thinking we're writing the script, thinking the narrative's all about us, thinking we're the one driving the ship, driving the car, doing everything. And this call to trust is so important and how to trust is what I want to think about. So that's what we're looking at today for all you the note takers here. I'm going to give you a really clear outline. I'm going to speak really slow because some of you come up and say, I missed this point. Here it is. First is the way of trust. Notice that. The result of trust and then the call to trust. Now if you missed that, I'm going to say it one more time because I don't want to hear at the door that you missed one. The way of trust, the result of trust, and the call to trust. The psalm is the most difficult in this altar. Not in understanding it. In doing it. It's a, as many have called, I think it was Spurgeon, it's a long ladder to climb. It's a difficult ladder to climb. It's an important psalm. Designated by David, you'll notice, Which is important because David was a man after God's own heart. And I think we all want to be somebody after God's own heart. How do we do that? I've often said that in prayers. Make me, Lord, a man after your heart like David. And I think this psalm helps us to get there. This psalm helps us to think about what was in David's heart that God would designate David that way. It's a personal psalm. It's an incredibly personal psalm. Something where David gets very open before us in how he's thinking. He's describing the human experience under the sun, the difficult experience as a sinner of learning to trust God. Notice verse one. Oh 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. Now that kind of troubles us, doesn't it? You just said you're not prideful, David. And if you have to tell us that, then you're full of pride, right? And that's how we think. That's not really what's happening in this particular psalm. David is, pride of course is what we like to say. somebody, we don't like to be around prideful people, somebody who has all the answers, somebody who acts like they know everything in life. Those are the people that we really cannot stand to be around. David is not saying that. He's not saying in that way. What David says is, I've learned the difficult task of subduing pride. I've learned the difficult task of how to subdue pride. We all stand back and we say, Pastor, we'll give me the formula for that. How do you do that? And David says this, pride is the way of lifting up the heart. Pride is the way of lifting up the eyes. To what? That's the question. Lifting up the heart and lifting up the eyes to what? He says here, notice, to occupy your minds, to set your heart, to set your minds on things that are too great for you. Things that cause anxiety. Things that cause fear. Things that cause the restlessness. Remember the Garden of Eden when Satan came in and the first thing he did was say to Eve, you know, did God really say? And the effect of that was already to take Eve's heart and mind off the word of God. It was to take him off the word of God and then to occupy their minds to try to put Eve into the place of God himself. You will be as God. He's holding you back. He doesn't have good plans for you. You can create and you can define your reality because really what you are experiencing is God holding you down from being what you could be to achieve happiness. That was the lie in the garden. But he had taken her mind and occupied it in the place of God. It was a proposal, wasn't it? To occupy their minds with things that would make them as God. Why in the world would God say, don't eat from that tree? He's bad. From all the trees in the garden. Remember, the way he pitched it was very deceptive. You can't be content with that. Actually, you could be as God. And you can know. He's hiding something from you. He's hiding something he hasn't told you. He is hiding something that you need to know. He has hidden knowledge. And you need to figure out this great question. Why you can't be God. Why you can't have your eyes open. To know what the theologians call is archetypal knowledge. The knowledge that God has, you can get. The knowledge of the Most High. Pride in the garden was an attempt to take God's place and figure out and solve the issues that Satan had presented were the most important issues of life. That was the revealed will, remember? There was the revealed will and then there was the secret will of God. Those things that, and Deuteronomy makes this important distinction. There are things that are revealed to you. And then there are things that are not revealed to you. And there are things that are revealed to you for you and to your children so that you may have a life of profitability and godliness, as the scriptures say. And then you can take yourself into matters that do not belong to you. Eve said, I want more. I'm not satisfied with where you have me. I will take it upon myself. now we stand back from this and and and then we start to realize how how important this particular psalm is and what david is is describing and what david is saying to us and how we do this all the time think of how people occupy themselves in life with all the issues of life and the questions about the difficult providences of god or the way things are the way that they are and they they think that by occupying themselves in these mysteries and these questions, they will solve life's problems. The scholars, I don't know if they're right on this, but they tie this particular psalm back to the experience of David when Uzzah had been struck down after he touched the ark. And David was, in the scripture, afraid of God that day, it says. He was so deeply troubled with God. But then in just a few verses later, after somehow something had happened to David, the ark came into Jerusalem. And remember, he danced like a fool as in the linen ephod and said, I will celebrate. Remember, his wife, Michael, said, you are making yourself contemptible. And David said, I will make myself yet more contemptible with this, and I will be abased in your eyes. This is where a lot of the scholars say, well, that's a tie right to Psalm 131 and what David's doing here. I think it's important to say whatever the context is, it was only when David came out of occupying himself with the ways of God that he did not understand and the questions that belong to God's secret counsel that he arrived at a place of simple trust and was able to subdue pride. Pride in life is occupying ourselves with things too great for us. That's what he's saying. Occupying ourselves with the things that we don't understand. Always trying to have to figure everything out. Always trying to occupy ourselves with what we think are the big questions. And what is the result of that, beloved? Fear. Fear. How much fear is in the world right now? Have you ever seen so much fear in your lifetime? You ever asked why everyone's afraid? They're either afraid of the virus or afraid of the government. Everyone's afraid. No one's neutral without fear. Everyone's afraid of something. Fear has gripped the world. Remember what Jesus said? There was no humbling of the people. Men's hearts will fail them from fear and expectation of those things that are coming on the earth. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Notice how much fear is everywhere right now. Look at the fear. The other day I was on my phone and it said a big heat wave was coming to Escondido. It was going to be 87. We hear of the new strand of COVID, the Delta variant. Fear grips everyone. The whole society is given to it. You know why we have a society that's given to it right now? Because in arrogance, it has imposed itself over God to play God in every facet of life. In the scientific world, in every facet of life, with questions that are too lofty for them. I'm not saying we shouldn't think about important questions. I'm not saying we shouldn't work to solve common problems. That's not what this is about. It has to be the right questions, though. How can we save the earth? Are you kidding me? You think you're going to save this earth? This earth is going to fire. Someone said to me the other day, worked up after reading the news, did you know that we're funding terrorist cells? Did you know we're funding the labs where coronavirus came from? And I said, what are you going to do about that? Nothing. We're worked up about everything. How can we eradicate racism? Who does that? What does the gospel do? Think the world's solving these problems? How are we going to beat cancer? Give me a ribbon and I'll walk. Really? You're going to beat cancer? That's a remarkable claim. It's a remarkable thing to get caught up in all your energies when you've been told you're going to die at the appointed hour. How are we going to coexist? How are we going to take all these miserable people that aren't happy? Here's what we're going to do. We're going to remake men and women in the image. We want to make them. And they can be whatever they want to be so that they will truly be happy. Really? You think redefining creation norms will make people happy? Everyone's afraid. That's what's driving pride, leading to fear. You know, they're all listening to us on our phones, right? Well, then preach the gospel into your phone. Got something to hide? You're either afraid of a virus or afraid of the government. We're all caught up in something. It's a Tower of Babel mentality that's taken us. As one pastor said, it's ambition run wild because we're dissatisfied with mediocrity. We're dissatisfied with how life is going under the sun. We're dissatisfied with the curse of sin. And we're going to solve this problem. We're going to occupy ourselves. We're going to give our time. We're going to give our lives to the great issues. And you're still going to die. This is why we're concerned about young adults falling into the movements of the world. because they are dictating the questions. And God says those aren't the questions. Those aren't the most important questions. Those are the lofty things the world has decided, are the big issues, the issues that are of first importance. And we say, wait, wait, no, they're not. They're not. You can't achieve happiness apart from the Lord. That way, when we do this, and we can do this as believers, when we are stuck in the questions of God's mysterious providences to us, why did you take my husband? Why did you take my son or daughter? The same fear grips us. I'm worried about tomorrow. I'm worried about my life. I'm worried about my health. I'm worried about my body. I'm worried about food. You've taken lofty things upon yourself. When Peter, remember at the end of John, the last section of John, when Peter heard that he would have to die and John wouldn't? Well, what about that man? If it's my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me. You see how the lofty questions take us, the lofty issues, and throw us way off. And here's what David's saying. I've got the best news for you. You don't have to do that. You do not have to live like that. In fact, the Lord says, I call you not to live like that. And David begins to speak of now the result of what it is to trust the Lord. What does that look like? What is the result? What is the consequence of trust in your life? And here it gets at it, verse 2. But I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother. Like a weaned child is my soul within me. you don't have to solve all of life's big problems I have learned to calm now this makes us a little nervous in this language I've learned to calm my heart I've learned to be using New Testament language anxious for nothing I'm strongly convinced that Jesus is using this in the gospels it never dawned on me before but the disciples come up and occupy themselves with an amazing question remember that? Lord, who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom? What pride. What a combination of occupying yourself with the wrong question and pride. I want to be great. I want to make something of myself. And Jesus says this, unless you enter as a little child, you'll never get in. I think Psalm 131 is right on his mind. What does it mean to enter the kingdom of God as a little child? Here it is, beloved. David was saying, instead of living incessantly with fret and worry, instead of living in endless anxiety, the way the maturity is to become a child again. It's a great calm to your souls. How so? How so? I've calmed and quieted my soul. How, David? How did you get there? How did you do that? Like a weaned child with its mother. Like a weaned child is my soul within me. Now, I had to really think about that. What in the world does that mean? I mean, it seems backwards to me. If I were writing this particular psalm, I would have said, at least if we're going to go this route of talking about babies and nursing and weaning, I would have said, my soul is like a baby on its mother's breast. Satisfied then. They seem so calm there, don't they? They seem so peaceful there, don't they? David says, it's when I'm a wean child that something great happens. I had to ask Darcy, my wife, about this. We had a disagreement at first as to what this meant. And she said, let me tell you something about weaning you don't understand. Where were you when you were weaning our four kids? Yeah, I wasn't there. So she starts to explain the process, and then I got, I think I understood this, I got this. I've been told weaning's really difficult. The process no mother loves. The fight, the separation, the difficulty of that. When the child is not satisfied, what does it want immediately? The breast. I do remember that. I remember it rooted around. If I'm getting too personal here, this is just common life. It's right out of the Bible. Once it has the belly full, it's satisfied, right? Is that life? Here's the better question. Isn't that how we treat God? We're only satisfied and happy when the belly's full. When we understand everything. When everything's going well. Then we're satisfied. The minute something gets hard, we root everywhere for an answer. And that's what happens when unexpected providences happen. Difficulties in life. Remember Naomi. Life got hard and they rooted right to Moab. And then everything came crashing down. And she fell apart before the Lord. I am exceedingly, it is exceedingly bitter for me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me. Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full and the Lord's brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me that the Almighty has brought calamity upon me? Huh. I will be like a weaned child. I will not occupy myself with things that are too marvelous for me. You getting what that means now? I will let the hard things of providence, I will let the difficulties of life, I will never allow that to make me think my God doesn't care about me. I'm not so lifted up to think that I'm God and that my ways are better than his ways. His purposes are not mine. He knows best. He made promises. He has a plan. He told me that he intends it for good for me no matter what it is. So I will trust him. I won't demand answers to the mysterious ways that lead me into bitterness and fear. I don't have to do that. I'm free from that. I can trust him. I will not take it upon myself to solve all my problems and live in endless fear and worry and fret. No, what I've learned is the best place is like a weaned child because that's when a child sits by its mother and expects and knows that the mother will feed it and care for it. I don't have to root anymore. He's going to take care of me. He's going to protect me. Vengeance is his if somebody does me wrong. It's not mine. I am content in trusting him. I don't have to figure this all out. Isn't that great? Isn't this just the issue of life right now for everyone? You don't have to figure this all out. Your father will. The issues are too big for you. They're too big for you. You have to enter as a child weaned that's content to be by the Father. This was why Paul said, don't be anxious about anything. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. It's going to guard your hearts and your minds. I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. I trust him to care for me. This is what Jesus was saying. Will your heavenly father not provide for you? Be as a weaned child knowing it's coming. Trusting him. Isaiah 66, as a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. Isaiah 49, can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she's born? Though she may forget, I won't forget you. That's your father. Trusting is learning through all the circumstances of life to not lean on your own understanding. That's pride or worrying about what you think you need to be cared for. You're not God. and that's the call, finally, of verse 3, isn't it? Oh, Israel, hope in the Lord. Live expectantly. What that means is be expectant for his care. Be expectant for his help. Live that way as his people. That's your witness. They always say, look at the psalm in context that came before. here's what that one says if you oh lord should mark iniquities oh lord who could stand but with you there's forgiveness that you may be feared i wait for the lord my soul waits and in his word i hope my soul waits for the lord more than watchman for the morning more than watchman for the morning oh israel hope in the lord for with the lord there's steadfast love and with him there's plentiful redemption. That's trust. It's a sweet place to be in this life, to know the greatest issues already been dealt with. For before whom the one to whom it matters, you're forgiven. He didn't put his son on the cross to die for you, to purchase you, to bring you into union with him. To give you all things in him. To graciously give you everything, Romans 8. So that then you would go and try to carry that burden yourself. What's the worst thing that could happen to you? You could die and go to hell. And live a life trying to solve all these problems and never solve anything. That's a bad way to live. That's a bad route to go. but if you have the Lord, a gracious Father who cares for you like this, and you've trusted in Him, what's the worst thing that could happen to you? You could die, and you could go to be with Him. Doesn't sound too bad. Your life's in His hand. Your days are numbered. Be responsible. Don't get me wrong. But understand, you're free. You're an adopted son and daughter of the Lord. He has taken it upon himself to give you everything in Jesus. Blood was spilled, the blood of his son, to own you. To give you his favor. The kind of people the Lord opposes are the proud. Those who can't receive such help because they've taken it upon themselves. Those who can't put out the hand and say, I need. Those are the ones who are the proud. God gives grace to the humble. Those who trust him in every circumstance because they've been weaned. Our Heidelberg is so good. What about God, your Father? I trust God so much that I do not doubt. He will provide whatever I need for body and soul and will turn to my good, whatever adversity he sends upon me in this sad world. Who sent it? God is able to do this because he's Almighty God. And he desires to do this because he's a faithful Father. And his Son loves you so much to secure that blessing. There's a reason the scripture says as a hen gathers its chicks, so he does that with you. So trust him. Trust him with all your heart. Trust him in the difficulties. Trust him in the good times. He will not fail to care for you. And he will not fail to do everything that he promised to do. When you can come to that place, You are as a weaned child. Let's pray to him today. Heavenly Father, thank you for Psalm 131. Thank you for such a rich psalm that teaches us how to trust. Help us to do so. Forgive our pride. Forgive our arrogance that we think we can even be away from the church and think that we're going to solve these answers. We need you every minute to speak to us. We need to be in worship every week to hear your word to us. For there, you are feeding us and caring for us. Remove pride from our lives and fear and give us your help. And may we trust you as a weaned child, not taking any more as the world does every day matters upon ourselves that are too lofty for us. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and thank you for helping us. to trust you all the more. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.