By Jamie Harms
When we choose to surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ, we find rest and contentment. Psalm 131 shows us a picture of this contentment as the psalmist has a right view of himself because he has a right view of God. He can be calm and quiet in God’s presence because he is forgiven and is a child of God. Therefore, he has hope in the Lord for his future.
131: I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
A Song of Ascents. Of David. 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.
Contentment
Sometimes our desire for greatness or comfort interferes with our ability to rest and be content. We need to acknowledge our limits and realize that our Lord is enough. Yet, we still struggle to leave that restlessness and discontent behind like a weaned child.
How does the picture of a weaned child demonstrate contentment? Why might the psalmist have used a weaned child to illustrate contentment instead of a nursing babe?
How do you find rest and contentment in the Lord?
To calm and quiet our soul is a choice. One way to calm and quiet our souls is to remember and give thanks to our Father for all that He has given us. Take a moment and write out 10 things for which you can be thankful for today.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, You tell me to bring You my needs. But help me also to rest in Your presence, joyfully content to just be with You. Sometimes give me that level of nearness and love. I need it so much. Amen.
* Prayer from Timothy Keller’s The Songs of Jesus p. 337