Sunday Devotional: Psalm 131:2

Surely I have soothed and I have stilled my soul like a weaned [child] upon his mother; like a weaned [child] upon me is my soul.

The heading of Psalm 131 tells us that it is a song of David, and it is a song of “ascents,” or a processional psalm–something that might be sung while on the way up to Jerusalem, while traveling to a festival celebration or feast day observance. This gives us a sense of it being sung by God’s people as a whole, however the words are from the lips of an individual. Not only should we think of these words as reflecting the attitude of the congregation, but also the attitude of each person going up. And, indeed, the attitude of every believer as they approach the Lord in prayer.

The psalm itself is short–only three verses. The first verse starts with psalmist expressing the sadness in his heart. He cannot lift his head, or think himself as having any worth. We are told this is a psalm of David, and one who is in a position of power is certainly given to lofty thoughts, a prideful disposition, and haughty eyes. Yet the psalmist has been laid low. He has come to a point where he recognizes his utter helplessness, and his complete unworthiness. We don’t know the circumstances around the composition of this psalm, but I imagine this is how David felt after Nathan confronted him with his sin regarding Bathsheba. And this is how we should all enter into worship: with humility, and an acknowledgement that the privilege of entering into the presence of God is a gift of His grace, and not something we deserve by right.

How should the humble servant of God enter into His presence? The psalmist describes his disposition as that of a “weaned child upon his mother.” The significance of “weaned” here is, I think, as an indication of the child’s developmental stage. He is old enough not to require nursing, but not so old that he is independent of his parents. He still becomes restless, and needs the comfort of his mother’s arms. If we call to mind the image of pilgrims making their way up to Jerusalem, we can see this child, weary and footsore, whining “are we there yet?” And his mother reaches down, picks him up, and carries him in her arms. Immediately there’s a smile on his face as the load of his body is lifted from his feet, and he feels the warm, loving embrace of his mother. He falls silent, and rests, confident that his mother will take him safely to where they are going.

Isn’t that how we should approach the Lord? When life gets the better of us, and we’re weary and footsore, tired of the struggle, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, we should hold out open arms to the Lord and let Him carry us. We know we are safe in His loving embrace, and we can rest secure in the knowledge that He will take us to our final destination.

Have a great week!