Stilled and Quieted
I want to end this EmmDev series with some fingers very gently pointing at myself. I started out this series wanting to answer some of the intellectual questions and theological struggles raised by the Covid19 Pandemic. I believe I was faithful and diligent in tackling some of the tough issues that arise from a crisis of this magnitude and a number of you expressed appreciation and support. (Thank you!)But I want to return to a point I highlighted in a series I wrote earlier this year that I called "Hungry Prayers."
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Our reading is from Psalm 131 which is short but significant.
When we take an initial glance at the Psalm, it doesn't feel like a "powerful" expression of faith and hope in God. In fact, at first glance, it seems to be a prayer of desperation or resignation. But, the deeper one looks, the more one gets a sense that this is a rock solid prayer uttered at the coal face of struggle and pain.
The prayer uses the analogy of real hunger to help make its point.
To understand the Psalm we need to note the difference between a weaned and an unweaned child:
An UNweaned child feels hungry and cries. You can't tell an unweaned child "hold on 5 minutes, supper's on the stove, it's nearly ready." Unweaned children cry because they don't yet understand that their parents are faithful. They believe that they have to make the food happen by their effort. So they cry and wave their arms and legs and crinkle their faces. And they escalate!
Sometimes we're like unweaned children. We want peace and to be loved, but we think we have to work hard to get it...
Conversely, a weaned child has learned to trust Mom to provide a meal - even if it is not served immediately.Oft times we are guilty of trying to be in control of our relationship with God. (Think about how nonsensical that is: us trying to "manage" our relationship with the Almighty.) But David warns us against this kind of pride.
We won't always be in complete control - we won't always have all the answers. We don't have to do all the talking and we don't have to understand everything. We have to grow up from being the insecure and demanding baby to the trusting child who has learned from experience that God is faithful.
The incredible beauty of this prayer is how clearly David sees that he does not have to "control" his relationship with God. He comes to this beautiful place of surrender which is revealed even in the brevity of his psalm. He's saying "I trust You Lord. I don't have all the details and I can't do it all. I don't know all the answers BUT I know that You love me and even when I am tempted to be frantic in my efforts to impress You, help me to know I am your child and help me to put my hope in You."
| 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. (Psalms131:1-3) |
This brings this series to an end - I do hope it has been meaningful. I'm going to take a break from EmmDevs for a week and then start a new theme. Any thoughts or suggestions? Any questions or topics you'd like me to look at?
God bless and Love,
Theo
