CALM AND QUIET
Psalm 131:2-3 NKJV
2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
OBSERVATION:
This is a fascinating passage. What is appealing to me is the idea of calming and quieting our souls. In the day when mental health is becoming such a hot topic, this psalm may offer some quality advice on grasping true peace in our minds.
David compares calming down his soul with a weaned child. We could use the mind and emotions when we think of the soul today. So, David is calming himself and quieting his mind and emotions. David is taking responsibility for his inner life. A weaned child can wait and be quiet. A weaned child is not constantly crying until fed.
David says his mind and emotions can respond in the same manner.
The big question is how does someone calm and quiet their mind and emotions? Verse three provides the answer: it's hoping in the Lord. The way to bring peace to our inner lives is to put our focus on something or, better yet, someone else. Calming down our thoughts is not something that happens automatically. We must be intentional.
David had a great love for God and God's Word. He also spent time worshipping and praising God. So David had a place to go with his thoughts.
Some years ago, I worked for my father on a project way above my pay grade. I did not have the skills to get the job done. This job involved installing custom window treatments in an upscale retirement home. I went back to my father's business to explain the reason for the delay in finishing. I was expecting a level of disappointment, but my father surprised me. He understood the challenges and informed me that his best installer, Lee, would be on the job with me the next day. Instead of fretting and worrying about the job, I was relieved. My mind was in a good place, knowing that Lee would be there to help. Because I was expecting help, I was able to calm and quiet my soul.
When we look to the Lord for our help and believe He will provide what we need, we can put our minds and emotions in a better place. We have the ability to focus our minds and think about what we choose. No one ever said it was easy, and our minds and emotions may protest, but we can get there. With our expectation in the Lord and the life in His word, we can retrain ourselves to live with calm and quiet souls.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to train my mind and emotions. I choose to live in Your peace and with Your calmness in my soul.