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Psalm 131 • Acquiring A Quiet Soul - Barney Wiget
Eavesdrop with me on this a conversation David has with God.
“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. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” Psalm 131
Charles Spurgeon said, “This is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.” Childlike trust is not so easy to acquire.
The childlike spirit doesn’t try to run the universe. It doesn’t concern itself with great matters or things too wonderful for it.
We can’t very well worship God and try to be God at the same time! We’re not God’s little helpers and he doesn’t owe us any explanations for the way he does things.
When I leave the management of the universe to him it quiets and calms my soul.
This childlike trust isn’t childish but childlike. David knew the difference. That’s why he could say:
“I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
A child trusts his mother and rests in her loving arms. He’s still. God can be as “motherly” as he is “fatherly.” Tender and available.
The Message Bible paraphrases it: “…my soul is a baby content…”
Childlike trust isn’t exactly an involuntary impulse. Childishness comes naturally. Childlikeness comes at a cost.
Sometimes I have to make my soul “behave.” It’s up to me to “compose” my soul when gets out of control. God will help me, but I have take the initiative.
When my soul whines and whimpers for its own way like an unweaned baby I have to “quiet” it and make it be still.
An unweaned baby screams at the first twinge of discomfort or hunger. My soul is like that. It clamors for what it wants and when it wants it. I have to tell it to be quite!
An unweaned baby sees his mother as a “dairy,” just there to feed him when he whines. Some people relate to the Lord simply as Provider, but fail to enjoy him as The Provision. It’s his Presence we need not just presents from him.
Weaning can be arduous. Like babies being weaned we whimper: “You don’t love me anymore! Why are you pushing me away?” He’s not pushing us away. He’s growing us up. To grow up we have to let go of the being the center of the universe. And become content to commune with our God.
The weaned child wants his mother, but not as his own personal milk machine. He wants her for her. The mature soul sidles up to the heart of the Father just to be near him.
Is your soul noisy and demanding? Admit to him and to yourself that there are many matters too great and things too wonderful for you to concern yourself with. Quiet your restless soul and put it to rest in the Father’s strong arms.
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By Crosspointe MinistriesEavesdrop with me on this a conversation David has with God.
“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. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” Psalm 131
Charles Spurgeon said, “This is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn.” Childlike trust is not so easy to acquire.
The childlike spirit doesn’t try to run the universe. It doesn’t concern itself with great matters or things too wonderful for it.
We can’t very well worship God and try to be God at the same time! We’re not God’s little helpers and he doesn’t owe us any explanations for the way he does things.
When I leave the management of the universe to him it quiets and calms my soul.
This childlike trust isn’t childish but childlike. David knew the difference. That’s why he could say:
“I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
A child trusts his mother and rests in her loving arms. He’s still. God can be as “motherly” as he is “fatherly.” Tender and available.
The Message Bible paraphrases it: “…my soul is a baby content…”
Childlike trust isn’t exactly an involuntary impulse. Childishness comes naturally. Childlikeness comes at a cost.
Sometimes I have to make my soul “behave.” It’s up to me to “compose” my soul when gets out of control. God will help me, but I have take the initiative.
When my soul whines and whimpers for its own way like an unweaned baby I have to “quiet” it and make it be still.
An unweaned baby screams at the first twinge of discomfort or hunger. My soul is like that. It clamors for what it wants and when it wants it. I have to tell it to be quite!
An unweaned baby sees his mother as a “dairy,” just there to feed him when he whines. Some people relate to the Lord simply as Provider, but fail to enjoy him as The Provision. It’s his Presence we need not just presents from him.
Weaning can be arduous. Like babies being weaned we whimper: “You don’t love me anymore! Why are you pushing me away?” He’s not pushing us away. He’s growing us up. To grow up we have to let go of the being the center of the universe. And become content to commune with our God.
The weaned child wants his mother, but not as his own personal milk machine. He wants her for her. The mature soul sidles up to the heart of the Father just to be near him.
Is your soul noisy and demanding? Admit to him and to yourself that there are many matters too great and things too wonderful for you to concern yourself with. Quiet your restless soul and put it to rest in the Father’s strong arms.