My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me; But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. —Psalm 131 NIV
I remember. Our baby was brand new and my brand new mama senses were on high alert. Her sharp cry triggered in me a panic to soothe, to calm, or to feed away her unhappiness. Never mind that I was groggy and so very tired … when that middle-of-the-night cry came, I answered it. She was fed, and I relished those sweet, tender moments with just the two of us and the soft ticking of the clock. What poignant memories remain of those precious, exhausting, draining, exhilarating days. A newborn comes with a ton of needs and only one way to let you know about them. Therefore, God made that cry a loud and insistent one for their own good.
After what felt like a long time, my baby girl no longer cried for me in the night. In fact, she didn’t cry for food at all, and looking back, that exhausting period seemed much shorter than when I was in the middle of it. She was weaned, content to eat when I chose to feed her, no longer desperate for food with that newborn angst. She knew that meals came with regularity, and she settled into the family rhythm as most humans do, at least those who are blessed with food enough each day.
Let’s talk. Are we newborns, panicking that we won’t be fed, demanding instant gratification? Or are we weaned? I love Psalm 131 and have a note in my Bible that it’s a great psalm to pray when I prepare to have my quiet time with God. Those few verses contain much wisdom about quieting ourselves so that we can feed on the Word and find our hope and our sustenance there.
“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” This verse teaches me to come before the Lord in humility, knowing that I am small and He is big, knowing that He is capable and understands all things when I do not. I don’t need to solve the problem of world hunger or figure out how to safely welcome refugees into our country in order to sit with God. I can bring all my worries, all my cares, big or small, to Him. I can trust Him and nestle in for a time of quiet.
“But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” Why are weaned children calm and content? They no longer panic about whether or not they will be fed. The world, which seemed so foreign to them as a newborn, has now become more predictable. And, the older they get, the more capable they are of helping themselves to food without relying on someone else picking them up and feeding them. So how does this apply to me? The longer I feed on God’s Word, the more confident I am that I will find nourishment there, the more capable I am of “helping myself” to memorized Bible verses that return fresh to my mind in times of need. I don’t have to scream for and demand answers. I sit curled up with my Heavenly Father and expect to learn. Long experience has taught me that I will.
“Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” We quiet ourselves when we have the sure hope of God’s Presence both now and forevermore.
Oh, let’s come to His Word often. Let’s be nourished by it and satisfied day by day with all that God shows us. The longer we keep the practice of a quiet time, the more settled we are that God will, indeed, meet us and show us rich truths from His Word, nourishing us with all we need to live well that day.
Heavenly Father, I do acknowledge that the world is full of perplexing issues that are too hard or too marvelous for me to understand. I come to You as a child, trusting that You hold the world in Your capable hands. Quiet me, Lord. Give me great contentment as I sit with You today and study Your Word. Nourish me, please, and show me the path I should take. How I thank You that I have the sure hope of Heaven—a deep knowing that I will be loved by You forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To encourage a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth that stillness and knowing God matter most—
and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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