Read: Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. Psalm 131:1–2
This psalm beautifully expresses what it means and feels like to fully rest in the presence of God. It is like being an infant in a mother’s arms, just after being fed. It is as if a person has been blanketed in a warmth and care that washes away all concerns and quiets all anxiety. It is a sense of contentment that completely settles one’s soul.
The Bible so often refers to God as a father, but there are some wonderful images in the biblical canon that evoke the divinity and sacred care that exist between a mother and a child. If you have ever cried out for your mother and have been readily enfolded in her warmth, care, and love, you have experienced something akin to being in the presence of God. You suddenly find you are contented, without a care in the world.
When was the last time you felt truly contented?
Lord, I long for the kind of contentment described in this psalm. As old as I am, I still long to crawl up into Your lap so that I can rest secure in Your presence and care. How I long to live surrounded by Your warmth, love, provision, and care. Take me in up into Your arms today, so that I can experience what it means to rest in You. In Your name, I pray. AMEN.