ENGLISH VERSION

Hello, I'm Pastor Jorge Diaz
Today's Reflection comes from Psalm 131 which reminds us that

I am not the owner of the world!

Psalm 131

1 Lord, I know that I am not the owner of the world.  

I can't even imagine myself as the king of the mountains.

I've never let my heart

nor have I let my eyes lead me to seek greatness;

nor have I let my mind imagine plans of a great lord and master.

2 Lord, you know that I have taught my heart

 to be calm, to wait in silence.

I have behaved like a child in its mother's arms.

My soul is that of a happy and quiet child! 

³ Hope, brother! Hope, sister!

Hope yesterday, hope today, hope tomorrow!

Let us hope in the Lord!

A Paraphrase - Jorge E. Díaz

The philosopher advised his students to "know thyself".  The apostle Paul counseled that "each one should have a proper concept of himself." Not higher, not devalued. All of us need from time to time to review our humanity and give it the necessary maintenance, trimming and cutting it.

Psalm 131 is about trimming and pruning. It's like taking the scissors, going to the rose bush and cutting off the dry branches and removing the dead leaves. It is the way to shorten the distance between the roots and the results we expect. These ideas are very evident in this Psalm 131.

Sometimes it is necessary to cut back our attitude of pride and arrogance.

We must maintain an adequate, controlled concept of who we think we are. Sometimes it is necessary to trim our attitude of pride and arrogance. Psalm 131:1, 2 begins this prayer and song like this:            

1 Lord, I know that I am not the owner of the world,

I can't even imagine myself as the king of the mountains.

I've never let my heart

nor have I let my eyes lead me to seek greatness;

nor have I let my mind imagine plans of a great lord and master. 

The five lines are difficult to assimilate. They are written in simple words, but our mind and our emotions refuse to accept them.

Recognize that I am not the owner of the world.

Recognize that I am not the king of the mountains.

To recognize that I do not aspire to greatness.

Admit that I do not have plans to be a great lord and master.

We live in a culture that excessively encourages and stimulates the feeling called AMBITION.  That desire to have more fame, more authority, more wealth and more recognition. The Bible tells us that it was ambition – the desire to have more – that led Adam and Eve to disobey the Lord. The prophet Isaiah suggests to us that it was ambition—that desire to have more—that brought Lucifer out of heaven and into the depths of hell.

In addition to ambition, we live in a culture of IMPATIENCE. When we desire something, we want it immediately. We want instant gratification. We have come to terms with the idea that there is no time to lose, we cannot wait. Whatever the cost, if you have to step over anybody to have it …do it. We are going to achieve our ambitions as soon as possible.

Along with ambition and impatience, we are accompanied by MEDIOCRITY. We have the position of “something is better than nothing" and “do the minimum". It makes us work and perform halfway.

It is impressive that even in our relationship with the Lord we intend to follow the same rules of the game:

Ambition - Lord, I want all material goods for myself.

Impatience - Lord, give it to me quickly.

Mediocrity - Lord, you know I can't give you more.

"Psalm 131 is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn" —I quote this phrase from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 131.

Those who give seminars on personal success tell us that we should feel like champions, that we should celebrate victory before going to war. However, we return home with our bodies crushed by exhaustion, with our hands full of blisters and with sore feet and we ask ourselves: What happened, Champ?   Those same counselors may answer us - it's that every person is different, and you can't achieve the same results in everyone. You are different. Too bad.

This Psalm does not accept those reasons. The author joyfully shouts:

³ Hope, brother, hope, sister!  Hope yesterday, hope today, hope tomorrow! Let us hope in the Lord!

Pray
Thank you, loving God, for reminding me that, although I am not the owner of the world, I am a person that you created and that you love me. You always want the best from me. I must remember the words of Psalm 25: 5 – “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”  I place my hope in you. Amen.

Reflection and Action
Do you have a feeling of greatness and arrogance within you that doesn't allow you to joyfully enjoy what you already have? Think about it and talk to God today.

May God bless you is my heart's desire and my prayer for you today.