Weaning

Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV) O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 
   2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 
   3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

There's really only one way to approach God. Humbly and open.

Here we have a picture, a weaned child with its mother. Hebrew children were weaned at ages three or four, and this experience marked the end of their infancy.  But a child of that age usually does not have any desire to stray too far from mom. In fact, they often become even more attached than they were at 2 years of age. The exposure of life's reality yields to anxiety of the great unknown beyond their comfort zone.

YET the Psalmist has quieted his soul. Notice the phrase: "I have calmed and quieted my soul." This is his activity and not some passive acceptance of God's activity for him. He's saying I have decided NOT to let my soul throw a temper tantrum simply because it has been denied immediate satisfaction. He's determined to give his soul tough love, forcing it to grow in the Lord by not filling it with whatever may come naturally.

What a picture of prayer! How often do we attempt to get alone with the Lord only to give heed to suddenly urgent demands for our time? How often do we fret over the frivolous and impulsive simply because we can't stay still.

This Psalm is a call to quiet oneself. Refuse the inner voice of immature impulse! To approach God is to set aside all the childish wants of one's inner being and rest in His presence alone. Whatever is keeping you preoccupied in mind and spirit is only distracting you from what can quiet them both.

We are challenged to come to God humbly in prayer without our request list in hand. To stop speaking or demanding and simply to rest in His presence. For there is fullness of joy.