Monday: Peace of a Weaned Child
Daily Lesson for Monday 25th of March 2024
Read Psalms 131:1-3. What does this psalm teach us about our relationship with God?
God’s people live in a world that afflicts the faithful, a world full of temptations and hardship for almost everyone. A refreshed conviction that he is a child of God and dependent on God for his life consoles the psalmist and brings him to confess that his pride has no value.
Image © Graham Braddock at Goodsalt.com
The deceitfulness of pride is that it causes the proud to become self-centered and unable to look beyond themselves. The proud are thus blinded to the higher reality of God.
In contrast, the righteous lift their eyes to God (Psalms 123:1-2). The acknowledgment of God’s greatness makes them humble and free from self-seeking and vain ambition. The psalmist confesses that he does not seek “great matters” and “things too high” (Psalms 131:1). These expressions describe God’s works in the world that are beyond human comprehension. Modern science has shown us that even the “simplest” things can be incredibly complicated and far beyond our understanding, at least for now. In fact, there’s a great irony: the more we learn about the physical world, the greater the mysteries that appear before us.
Meanwhile, the metaphor in Psalms 131:1-3:2, “like a weaned child with [its] mother” (NKJV), is a powerful image of one who finds calmness and who is quieted in the embrace of God. It points to the loving relationship a child has with its mother at various stages in that child’s young life.
Through weaning us from insubstantial ambitions and pride, God introduces us to the nourishment of solid food, which is to “do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34, also Hebrews 5:12-14). The childlike trust depicted in Psalms 131:1-3 is mature faith that has been tried and tested by the hardships of life and has found God to be faithful and true to His Word.
The psalmist’s attention at the end rests on the well-being of God’s people. Ultimately, we are called to use our experience with God to strengthen His church. That is, from what we have learned, personally, of God’s faithfulness and goodness, we can share with others who, for whatever reason, still struggle with their faith. Our witness about Christ can even be within the church itself, where many need to know Him for themselves.
“ ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’ ” (Matthew 18:3, NKJV). What is Jesus saying to us here? What does this idea entail?
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Isn't it great to watch toddlers? They are so inquisitive and trusting. And I love the metaphor in this weeks text; especially verse 2:
For a grumpy old grandad, it is great to give them back to their mother especially when grandad is tired.
My grandkids are young men now, but my memory is still good and I can remember when they were toddlers and they used to come and stay with us on Sundays while our daughter worked and her husband went motocross riding. Coming to our place was an adventure, familiar enough to feel comfortable and yet different enough from home to explore and learn. They enjoyed our company and we theirs.
It was a time of developing relationships, and the fact that the boys still come to us regularly for company and advice in their late teens indicates the strength of that relationship. Even when they get cranky with their parents, as teenagers do, their first port of call is to come and see us. (We usually nod wisely and say that their mother behaved like them when she was a teenager)
The lesson in the child metaphor is not just a couple of static descriptors but is the relationship that a child develops with its parents and other people of significance in their lives. When we develop our spiritual relationship with God because he is familiar enough to be comfortable, yet different enough to explore, we are putting the child metaphor into practice.
Sounds like the Psalmist are giving us the Gospel of Christ in today's Psalm. There is peace like a river when fully relying on God.
Isaiah 66:12.
As I look to the picture of the child from today's lesson, the child is sleeping peacefully. Sometimes life brings us pain and we hardly get peaceful sleep but in the midst of all the pain and agony God wants us to trust him and wait on him.
A teacher asked the kids to draw a picture of peace:
The first child draw a late cool calmn picture of the sun over the lake and submit the assignment
The second child draw a picture of a tree and a beautiful green grass and submit the assignment.
The third child draw a storm and a tree - on the tree sit a little bird comfortable inspite of the storms and submit the assignment. The teacher gave the third child 10 out of 10 (100%).Then the other kids protested against the teacher saying it's not fair why is she giving this child 100%. Our picture deserve better, the sun over the lake and the beautiful gardens. The teacher says we'll if you look at the bird it is sitting on the tree comfortable inspite of the storm. The continued to protest saying why because the birds got wings and can fly away from the storms. Faith is trusting God in hard times even if it doesn't make sense.
(Isaiah 40:31) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The river of life in ( Revelation 22:1) represents God's life-giving presence. God never leaves us; he's always with us. "And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb"
The earth promised to the meek will not be like this, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse... There is no disappointment, no sorrow, no sin, no one who shall say, I am sick; there are no burial trains, no mourning, no death, no partings, no broken hearts; but Jesus is there, peace is there (MB 17)
Great peace have they who love Your law: And nothing shall offend them!!
Remember now, peace is not the absence of conflict, but an implicit trust in the One who gives peace!!
Psalm 131:1-3 – v.3: ” O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forever.” I take a bit of a different view, understanding this to be a metaphor referring to the maturity of Israel; having 'grown up/matured' and able to choose the LORD instead of other gods. He encourages them to see themselves as a ‘weaned’ child which can accept the nourishment coming from their 'trustworthy' God.
Personally, it was a long journey before I was able and willing to trust God explicitly; to rely on His 'nourishment' exclusively. The day came when I understood that ‘true satisfaction’ comes only through accepting and living by His Word – eating His Bread of Life and drinking from His Well that never runs dry – 1 Cor.13:11.
Now, after having accepted to trust and love God with all my heart, I can fully enjoy the ‘peace of a weaned child’. He replaced mother, father and the 'world' when I chose Him to be my Shepherd - John 10:1-5; Psalm 23; John 10:27-28.
Children are generally pure and sincere. Of course, sometimes, on this fallen planet we live on, children can be as cruel as tyrants. But let's focus on the pureness of children, still uncorrupted by the living experience. That's what we need to be, trusting entirely in the Father for provision and help - although not without doing our part. Ultimately, real success can come to those who trust the Lord for peace.
Its really nice to see a child peacefully sleeping, if I will relate this in our lessonI would say, When we put god as a center our lives, we will live in peace, we will have pure heart, less or free from worries and burden, like the sleeping baby whom just happy and contented from love he/she receives from the parent/s.
Everyone of us needs to experience such childlike faith in the midst of turmoil, where we feel true peace and security because we know that no matter what happens, our GOD will take care of us. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 3:18). Like a mother to her baby....
The "Peace of a Weaned Child," as termed by King David, does not only refer to childlike faith but metaphorically represents the state of spiritual maturity wherein our personal desires, intentions, longings are dismantled before God and totally surrendered to Him. That our goal in life has changed from selfishness to selflessness.That our our meat will be the meat that Jesus took when He said: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34)