“1 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 131:1-2
This amazing Psalm written by King David teaches us about the importance of being weaned by God to overcome our pride. David begins by saying to the Lord, “my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty” (131:1a). Although King David had reason to be “haughty” (gabahh) and think he did not need God, he was humble before the Lord. He admits that his “eyes” were not “lofty” so as to look down on others with a feeling of superiority. Nor did David “concern” himself with “great” and “profound” matters that were beyond his ability to manage them.
As broken sinners before the Lord, we can try to compensate for our deep feelings of inadequacy or inferiority by thinking more highly of ourselves. Our pride may say, “I don’t need you” or “I am better than you.” Out of arrogance we can take on “great” and “profound” matters that are beyond our abilities to manage them. We may be prone to overestimate our own abilities and importance.
But David did not let pride get the best of him because he had “calmed and quieted” his “soul, like a weaned child with his mother” (131:2a). The Hebrew word for “calmed” (shavah) is used physically of leveling the surface of the ground so it is smooth to travel over. God wants us to learn to level our souls so it is smooth or composed before Him. He wants to teach us how to calm and quiet our souls in His presence. Learning to regulate the inner person requires that we pay attention to our souls like David did his soul. Our physical bodies can tell us a lot about our souls.
For example, when there is tension or tightness in my chest or abdomen, it is usually an indicator that my soul needs some attention. So I take a few minutes do some deep diaphragmatic breathing, and then ask myself, “What do you need right now? Do you need to let go of anything and give it to God?” I pause and just listen to my soul. I may take time to journal any impressions or thoughts. Then I may say to my soul, “Let God reconnect you to Him right now.” So I spend time in prayer and meditate on a passage of Scripture that helps me reconnect with the Lord. I may pray Scripture to the Lord substituting my name for any pronouns.
I was very intrigued when David compared his soul care to “a weaned child with his mother.” A child that is not weaned tends to be very self-centered and demanding. He will cry and harass his mother until he gets his milk. But a weaned child knows the rest and security of being in the presence of his tender loving “mother.” She has loved and cared for him so that it is easy for him to trust her. But an infant that is neglected or mistreated has not been properly loved or cared for, making it extremely difficult for that child to trust someone. That child is more likely to grow up being extremely insecure and distrusting.
I believe God wants to reparent those who were not properly loved and cared for. He does this through the discipleship process among Christians. God wants to use older believers in Jesus to love and care for younger broken believers who were never loved and cared for the way God intended. It will be difficult for them to trust anyone at first, including God and other people. But as they experience Christ’s love while learning to abide in His Word with other believers, the lies that have isolated them from God and others will be replaced with His truth.
God wants to take His children through the weaning process so we learn to trust the Lord to care for us and provide for us. Before we are weaned, we may be very self-seeking and demanding of God. But when we are weaned, we learn that God loves us without limitation or expectation and this calms and quiets our souls.
For example, when a mother makes eye contact with her newborn baby, her face lights up with joy. She delights in her baby not because of what he does, but because of who he is. He is her child! That is all that matters to her. She does not expect him to perform or live up to a certain standard. Her child is absolutely lovable because of who he is, not because of what he does or doesn’t do.
The same is true of our heavenly Father toward us. He smiles upon us simply because we are His children. He does not expect us to do or say anything. He delights in our presence simply because we belong to Him! There is no need for us to try to earn His love or approval because we already have both from Him by virtue of being His forever child. So we may rest in the security of His unending love for us. From this we learn that we can trust Him even when His ways are not exactly what we expected or even wanted.
Prayer: Father God, Your Word has pierced my heart today. You have pointed out just how broken and needy I am before You. My heart is so prone to be proud; to elevate myself above others and to look down on them with a feeling of superiority. My pride often overestimates my own abilities and importance to compensate for my deep feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. Like an unweaned child, I can be so self-seeking and demanding towards You. Please Father God, teach me to be more like a weaned child that knows the rest and security of being in the presence of his tender loving mother. Father, Your love and tender mercies assure me that I am loved and cared for apart from any merit of my own, which makes it easier for me to trust You. Teach me to calm and quiet my restless soul in Your loving presence. Help me to see myself through Your eyes of love. I am loved by You simply because I am Your child. Nothing more and nothing less. I am safe and secure in Your presence much like a weaned child in the presence of his loving mother. Thank You for soothing my soul with this message from Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.