Read and meditate on Psalm 131 today:
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
There is much to consider and meditate on in this Psalm. Ever feel stressed? Overwhelmed? Like you are about to break? David certainly felt this way at times. Being king over a nation like Israel certainly stretched him to the breaking point on many occasions. The responsibilities were endless; the battles kept coming; his work never seemed done. I am convinced that David wrote this psalm after a stressful day. Things were flying at him from all corners. He was tired from the day…tired of the responsibilities…just plain tired. In the evening he began to regain focus and the words of Psalm 131 began to flow out.
My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. Could it be that at the root of most, if not all, of our stress is pride? We take on more than we are intended to take on. We overestimate ourselves. We believe that we have to solve all of life’s problems…and the problems of others. The serenity prayer captures David’s thought: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. David had to learn this truth. He had to let go of things that were beyond his control. Stick to his calling. Shelve his pride. Curb his appetite for “greatness.” Seek to be faithful. And quiet his soul.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. David had to calm himself down. Take some deep breaths. Remind himself that he was not God and instead focus on the One Who is. He had to learn to rest in God…”like a weaned child.” Interesting analogy. You would almost expect the picture to be of a “nursed child”–a child who has been fed and now rests in his mother’s arms. Instead David refers to a “weaned child.” I had to look up Spurgeon’s commentary on Psalms for a little more insight. Here is what he said:
To the weaned child his mother is his comfort though she had denied him comfort. It is a blessed mark of growth out of spiritual infancy when we can forego the joys which once appeared essential, and can find our solace in him who denies them to us; then we behave manfully, and every childish complaint is hushed.
I had to reflect on that awhile. I thought of my own kids. There are certain things that they have to have. Walking through a toy store, everything seems essential. As an adult, I know that no matter what toy is bought, its joy will only last a moment and then another toy becomes the object of desire. Yet they still don’t see it. Perhaps I don’t either. Contentment is a hard lesson to learn. “The next thing” always promises more than it can deliver. Peace comes from being “weaned” of this incessant desire for more, for greatness, for being seen as significant in the eyes of others, for needing things to make me happy. When I can simply rest in my relationship with God, without demanding more and more things from Him, then I have reached the rest that God intended for me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. David now turns to the nation that he leads, the nation that wanted more and more, the nation that probably demanded more and more from him as king and he says to them, “I am sorry if I have disappointed you. I am sure I will continue to do so. I can’t satisfy all your longings. I can’t resolve all your problems. I can’t meet all your expectations. All I can do is point you to the LORD. Put your hope in Him. He is the One you need. I know because I need Him too.”
Lord, help me quiet my soul. Help me let go of my need to be great, to feel needed, to have all the toys of this world, to meet all the expectations of others. Help me let go of these things and run into Your arms. Wean me from my childish needs and selfish desires so that I can totally rest in You and enjoy Your love.