I’m praying for you as you read this.
Ps. 131, A Song of Ascents, of David.
“O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul. Like a weaned child rests upon his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.”
There is much in this world that seeks our attention, beloved. So much noise and clatter. So many voices that try to pull you into every conversation and conflict. Please hear my heartfelt plea to anyone who spends any amount of time on social media. We can have our time, energies, and attention so quickly divided from what really matters. Even the amount of “good” voices out there can drown out what God is wanting to speak to you specifically, and confuse the strongest faith.
There are also bombastic explosions that can shake us to the core. As I was writing the last sentence there was a thunderclap that was as loud as I had ever heard in my 63 years. It shook the house, made my heart jump, and shook my insides! I think the Lord was making an exclamation mark to the point. Sometimes unexpected, exploding things can come into our life at any point and shake us to our core.
The songs of ascents have several themes, and one of them is a simple, childlike faith. In this song King David, arguably the greatest of all the Kings of Israel, says he does not seek involvement in great things! Here he likens God to our comforting mamma. The picture he is painting is that there is nothing in the world as comforting as the quiet stronghold of Mom. I am sorry if you didn’t have a good example of one for you and I pray you have or gain a spiritual mamma soon. For me and countless others, no matter what was going on in the world, no matter the volume of bad or worrisome things that were in my life, I could always go to my Mom and she would bring me comfort and peace. Every good Mom knows the love language of each child and what will bring immediate comfort.
The great King quiets his soul and seeks the peace and strength in the stronghold of His God, just like a small child comforts themselves in Mamma’s lap. He has purposely told his soul to be comforted. He has purposely made himself be quiet and leave all the great and important things alone for this time. This is great wisdom and an example for the believer today in the midst of such “great and important” news feeds we are brought into contact each day in our world. It may take practice over a period of time for us to gain control of our soul, but I know it is possible.
As we look to start out the New Year in an attitude of Hopefulness and Peace, let us be like King David and purposely lean on our Great King.
Each believer has a voice that should be used, but let’s make sure our lean is upon our true source of rest first, before we enter any conversation and uttering a word. We need to control the lean of our soul before, during, and after each day.
Let us enter any conversation knowing that only His voice can change a heart, a mind, or a destiny!
And encourage others in this daily – we need each other!
God bless you
Professor Rich Faille
