Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child. Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever. Psalm 131
Most of us have held a baby who has fallen asleep in our arms. Have you ever considered how trusting that child must be to be so completely relaxed that they let go of all their worries and cares and just sleep while you hold them? When was the last time your were that relaxed? When was the last time you trusted God enough with your painful circumstances to just fall asleep in His arms?
Arthur Weiser offers his thoughts about being as content as a baby...
"The Christian is not like an infant crying loudly for his mother's breast, but like a weaned child that quietly rests by his mother's side, happy in being with her....No desire now comes between him and his God: for he is sure that God knows what he needs before he asks him. And just as the child gradually breaks off the habit of regarding his mother only as a means of satisfying his own desires and learns to love her for her own sake so the worshipper after a struggle has reached an attitude of mind in which he desires God for himself and not as a means of fulfillment of his own wishes. His life's centre of gravity has shifted. He now rests no longer in himself but in God."
I especially like the reference to having a sift in your center of gravity. If our center of gravity is off, then we can't walk without toppling over. In fact the struggle to walk upright is exhausting and full of extra effort. But if God is our center of gravity, our walk is easy and requires very little effort. Walking with God becomes as automatic as breathing.
Dear one, what has thrown your center of gravity off and prevents you from resting in your Father's arms? Identify it, tell God about it and then leave it with Him. His arms are more than strong enough to hold you while you sleep.
Journaling Prompts
1. Describe how your painful life experiences have either led you to rest in God or rest in yourself.
2. Write your own version of Psalm 131 and personalize it to your own circumstances. For example: "God I curl up in your arms now to rest and sleep knowing that you will keep me safe and sound."
3. What do you need to walk away from ( or wean yourself from) that is preventing your from putting your hope in the eternal God? For example: fear, pride, arrogance...
my eyes are not haughty.
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child. Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever. Psalm 131
Most of us have held a baby who has fallen asleep in our arms. Have you ever considered how trusting that child must be to be so completely relaxed that they let go of all their worries and cares and just sleep while you hold them? When was the last time your were that relaxed? When was the last time you trusted God enough with your painful circumstances to just fall asleep in His arms?
Arthur Weiser offers his thoughts about being as content as a baby...
"The Christian is not like an infant crying loudly for his mother's breast, but like a weaned child that quietly rests by his mother's side, happy in being with her....No desire now comes between him and his God: for he is sure that God knows what he needs before he asks him. And just as the child gradually breaks off the habit of regarding his mother only as a means of satisfying his own desires and learns to love her for her own sake so the worshipper after a struggle has reached an attitude of mind in which he desires God for himself and not as a means of fulfillment of his own wishes. His life's centre of gravity has shifted. He now rests no longer in himself but in God."
I especially like the reference to having a sift in your center of gravity. If our center of gravity is off, then we can't walk without toppling over. In fact the struggle to walk upright is exhausting and full of extra effort. But if God is our center of gravity, our walk is easy and requires very little effort. Walking with God becomes as automatic as breathing.
Dear one, what has thrown your center of gravity off and prevents you from resting in your Father's arms? Identify it, tell God about it and then leave it with Him. His arms are more than strong enough to hold you while you sleep.
Journaling Prompts
1. Describe how your painful life experiences have either led you to rest in God or rest in yourself.
2. Write your own version of Psalm 131 and personalize it to your own circumstances. For example: "God I curl up in your arms now to rest and sleep knowing that you will keep me safe and sound."
3. What do you need to walk away from ( or wean yourself from) that is preventing your from putting your hope in the eternal God? For example: fear, pride, arrogance...