Like a Weaned Child
It is easy to get an inflated view of ourselves. In the information age in which we live today it is also very easy to occupy our minds with things that are way beyond our control. When we combine these things with a dose of pride, we have a recipe for a very stressful life that accomplishes very little of God's will. The psalmist saw this, and he gave us some wonderful insights from the Holy Spirit.(Psalm 131:1,2)
We are who God made us. We are not president of a country or the CEO of a major corporation. We are not the smartest person in the world, or even close to it. There are only a tiny fraction of the people of the world who can make any of these claims. Then, even if they do find themselves in an important position or being a very intelligent person, they still need to do what the psalmist tells us from the Lord. We all need to calm and quiet our souls. How do we do that? It is fairly simple.
If we will see ourselves like a weaned child with his or her mother, it will bring a huge relief to our souls. Remember, the soul consists of our mind, will, and emotions. Therefore, we can apply this view of ourselves to each part of our souls. Let me explain.
What is a weaned child? It is a young child who can feed himself regular food, but he is still in need of growth and guidance from his mother. This child is becoming more confident, but he or she still looks to his mother almost constantly. Isn't that a great way to look at ourselves? Yes, we can do some things pretty well, and we know some things, but we still need the guidance of the Lord in all we do. We need for Him to give us our instructions, and we carry them out. That takes the pressure off of us. We are simply following Him and doing what He tells us under His guidance. In this way we can do whatever He desires and understand what He wants us to understand. No matter how great or smart we become, we still live in this relationship with Him.
I know this is opposite to how we think in America. We want independence. We want to do it ourselves. We can do some things ourselves, but we need the guidance and support of our Lord. We can make some decisions on our own, but never without knowing what He wants and doing that. We have emotions on our own, but we still need to be sure that we are feeling correctly, not according to the flesh. That is why we must keep our eyes on Him continuously. We will never be more than weaned children. Our souls will always be in turmoil, unless they are like weaned children. However, each of us can say with the psalmist, "I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child." Let's do it and experience His peace.
Oh yeah, there is one more thing I need to add. Why does it refer to a mother and not a father, since it is referring to God? When you were hurt, upset, or down in the dumps, did you go find your Dad or your Mom? Usually, mom was the first choice for most of us. The mother has that special compassion, that gentle hand of guidance. Can you feel her embrace? Can you hear her advice? Can you see her eyes of love and assurance? God made moms, and He knows just how to love us in that way, as well as, giving us the guidance of a father. He is so good and perfect.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 132-135.
We are who God made us. We are not president of a country or the CEO of a major corporation. We are not the smartest person in the world, or even close to it. There are only a tiny fraction of the people of the world who can make any of these claims. Then, even if they do find themselves in an important position or being a very intelligent person, they still need to do what the psalmist tells us from the Lord. We all need to calm and quiet our souls. How do we do that? It is fairly simple.
If we will see ourselves like a weaned child with his or her mother, it will bring a huge relief to our souls. Remember, the soul consists of our mind, will, and emotions. Therefore, we can apply this view of ourselves to each part of our souls. Let me explain.
What is a weaned child? It is a young child who can feed himself regular food, but he is still in need of growth and guidance from his mother. This child is becoming more confident, but he or she still looks to his mother almost constantly. Isn't that a great way to look at ourselves? Yes, we can do some things pretty well, and we know some things, but we still need the guidance of the Lord in all we do. We need for Him to give us our instructions, and we carry them out. That takes the pressure off of us. We are simply following Him and doing what He tells us under His guidance. In this way we can do whatever He desires and understand what He wants us to understand. No matter how great or smart we become, we still live in this relationship with Him.
I know this is opposite to how we think in America. We want independence. We want to do it ourselves. We can do some things ourselves, but we need the guidance and support of our Lord. We can make some decisions on our own, but never without knowing what He wants and doing that. We have emotions on our own, but we still need to be sure that we are feeling correctly, not according to the flesh. That is why we must keep our eyes on Him continuously. We will never be more than weaned children. Our souls will always be in turmoil, unless they are like weaned children. However, each of us can say with the psalmist, "I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child." Let's do it and experience His peace.
Oh yeah, there is one more thing I need to add. Why does it refer to a mother and not a father, since it is referring to God? When you were hurt, upset, or down in the dumps, did you go find your Dad or your Mom? Usually, mom was the first choice for most of us. The mother has that special compassion, that gentle hand of guidance. Can you feel her embrace? Can you hear her advice? Can you see her eyes of love and assurance? God made moms, and He knows just how to love us in that way, as well as, giving us the guidance of a father. He is so good and perfect.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 132-135.