like a weaned child...

psalm 131 - “my heart is not proud...o Lord...my eyes are not haughty; i do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me...but i have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother...like a weaned child is my soul within me...o israel...put your hope in the Lord...both now and forevermore...”

i find psalm 131 curious at first read...it is very short...only three verses long...in it...the writer david portrays himself as a child who has been weaned...

several places in scripture God is depicted as a mother...even a nursing mother...this may seem jarring if you are used to His “God the Father” title...but it’s a warm and nurturing picture of God...it conveys a loving life-giver who wants to see their child grow up healthy and strong...psalm 131 shows us that weaning must take place in order for that to happen...

as i am not a mother...i really can't contribute too much to the subject of nursing...but i've heard many a moms talking about it..

basically...most baby's would rather nurse than do just about anything the first 12 months of their live's...they are not interested in crib toys...stuffed animals...blankets...the baby swing...a pacifier...or a bottle....they only want to nurse...nearly all the time....they don't need that much food...and...all that nursing makes them happy...but it also makes them chubby...plus...they can't go on nursing forever...so while they are getting more nutrition than needed at the time...it wouldn’t provide all that was needed in the coming years...the child needs to be weaned and learn to eat the more mature food put on the table...

weaning can cause some anxiety for the child...they do not like having what was comfortable and familiar taken away...some even throw tantrums over it...however...once the weaning process is complete...the child is content with their new reality...through the weaning process...their appetites are changed...and it also gives the child more time to master walking and enjoy playing...they are now able and eager to stand at their mother’s side and explore the world as a toddler...

yes...i'm sure i have completely over-simplified the process...again...i'm not a mom =)

determining the right time to wean depends on the child and the parent but when the time comes...weaning involves withholding from the child what they want...but no longer need...God often withholds things we want but do not need...in order to change our appetites...this is not meant to inflict anxiety or pain...but to mature us and prepare us for the next level in our walk with Him...too often we want life to be easy and comfortable...we don’t want to grow up and face responsibilities...but that would lead to stunted development...we forget that growth and maturity are almost always forged through some type of hard work or difficulty...

other times...however...we do want to grow up – WAY UP – and we get in a hurry to do so...we’re like the toddler who assumes she is can do everything herself...psalm 131 speaks to this tendency in us as well...david says in the first verse that 'he keeps his soul from being too proud or overly ambitious...' basically...david is saying he has to make sure he doesn’t get too big for the britches God has given him...

can you relate?

the Message writer eugene peterson puts it this way: “God...i'm not trying to rule the roost...i don't want to be king of the mountain...i haven't meddled where i have no business or fantasized grandiose plans...i've kept my feet on the ground...i've cultivated a quiet heart...” (psalm 131:1-2a)

psalm 131 ends with david urging us to place our trust and hope in God...so today...i will not hope in my ambitions or grand plans for the future...nor will i desire an "always-easy" path so i don’t have to face difficulty...rather...i will leave all that to Him and i will simply stand at God’s side...ready to explore my day...