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The subtitle for Psalm 131 is “A Song of Ascents”, which traditionally is affiliated with Jewish pilgrimages up to Jerusalem to worship and be with the Lord. Although the pilgrims would physically be looking up as they journey towards this great feat, the psalmist teaches not to lift up our hearts, raise our eyes, or occupy ourselves with marvellous things.
As Christians, we do not make this same pilgrimage, but we do have daily temptations to pursue greatness as we pilgrim through life. The message to do and be more, to ascend the social ladder, the office hierarchy, or pursue name recognition, is pervasively all around us. What this psalm challenges us with is the truth that great and marvellous achievements in the world bring about pride and dissatisfaction, instead of peace and joy.
Psalm 131 leaves us with a radical message — Do Less. In order to find peace that truly calms and quiets our souls, we need to aspire to less and simply position ourselves before the Lord like a weaned child with its mother.
Returning to the subtitle’s reference to the Jewish “Ascent” pilgrimages, I imagine a mother with her young child carrying her throughout the long journey. The child is not used to so much walking, all the new smells and sights, and probably finds herself in states of fear or uncertainty. Despite whatever she might face, she knows from experience that her mother is safe, her provider and sustainer. She knows this not from a logical, abstract position, but from their personal history of daily, maybe even hourly, feedings. In order to find peace and calm, the child does not have to do anything great or marvellous, she only needs to draw near to her mother.
The Lord is like a faithful mother who has already provided all that is needed and has proved Himself over and over to be trustworthy. Doing and aspiring to do less depends on knowing the One who has already provided and done it all. The question resides with us, the weaned children: will we trust and remain close to our mother or will we attempt to ascend on our own with fear and uncertainty?
He will carry us all the way, and He will nourish us with what the world and our accomplishments cannot. May our hearts not ascend up, but in, towards the One who is, was, and will be.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray that I would occupy myself with the things You did, are doing, and will do, not with my own work. May I do less, for You have done it all.
“Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord— now and always.”
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3 Responses
The Lord has carried me through many dark and scary seasons in life. The abuse as a child, years of being institutionalized after trying to take my own life, abused by an ex husband who tried to kill me and years in addiction/alcoholism. A sinful and dark life.He always nourished me with physical needs and a heart that was able to focus on others. He always placed Godly people in my life that prayed for me and gave me love and glimmers of hope. As I look back on these dark seasons I visualize the picture and saying of footprints as I now know without a doubt how he carried me. I am so grateful that all those bad things helped me to connect with those other hurting souls and he uses me to make a difference in the lives of those that most shy away from. The addicts, the alcoholic, the homeless, mentally ill, developmental delayed. They all need to know they are loved and he has used me to do so. God is so good. There is always a purpose in the pain and he uses our mess to be his message to help others.Have a blessed Palm Sunday ❤️🙏😇Keep God close and if you are struggling reach out and let others carry you until you are strong enough to carry yourself.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I read this daily as a reminder to do everything for the glory of his kingdom. It starts my day right and recenters me after a difficult day.
We can trust God. He has proved Himself over and over. Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-How will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”