Greetings once again. Whether or not you were actually able to see God's active hand this week, He once again used you and your ministry within His divine plan. What you do each day matters for eternity.
For a number of weeks, I have wanted to share a precious psalm with a beautiful picture about trusting God, but I kept running out of space, so today I'll focus just on Psalm 131.
Verse 2 gives the illustration. "Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child." David gives the sweet picture of a young child resting in his mother’s lap. The child is contented and quiet, not struggling or alarmed. The child rests quietly because he has no concerns or worries. There may be many concerns facing his family, but the child doesn’t bear those burdens. If the child is even aware of the problems, he has learned that his mother and father take care of everything he needs. So even in times of great family challenge, the young child can fall asleep in his mother’s arms - an indication that he completely trusts her protection and care.
David had to deliberately become like this little child by behaving and quieting himself. The first term has to do with adjusting and composing - a deliberate change and conformity of spirit. The second term is about becoming still and silent - not questioning, protesting, or crying out. David purposefully ceased his soul struggles and placed his trust completely and confidently in God.
What would enable someone to become
so quiet and trusting? The reason is found in verse 1. "LORD, my heart is
not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great
matters, or in things too high for me." David's adjustment had to do primarily with his thoughts.
There were things going on in his life that were too difficult for him to
understand, too high. Instead of the natural response of trying to figure
things out anyway, David realized that his brain was not big enough to decipher
such matters.
The picture behind the words is that of walking on lofty and
difficult paths, and David determined not to insist on putting his feet on paths
too grand for him and that he was not capable of walking. He realized he would
never understand the things that were intended only for the mind of God. Having
reached the conclusion that it was okay for him not to understand, he rested
quietly in the arms of God just like a young child rests in complete trust in
his mother’s arms.
The third verse issues the same challenge for others. "Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever." Every believer can compose himself just as David did, recognizing his own limitations and, more importantly, remembering the great God who has everything under control. Until the vanishing point of time, he can wait and rest in God.
My summary statement for this psalm is "quiet trusting in God based on childlike humility regarding the limits of human understanding." The little child does not comprehend mortgages, cancer, job markets, inflation, checking accounts, and meal preparation, but he trusts his parents to provide. Likewise, the believer will not understand everything in his life, family, and ministry, but he can rest quietly as he allows God to understand those things for him.
May you rest quietly in Him this week in whatever bewildering situations you face. He really can take care of all of it.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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