Like a Child

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.

Psalm 131

What a lovely picture of a peaceful soul.  Resting, leaning in, nestled in the arms of a loving mother.  This one of the most tender pictures, from the pages of scripture, of our relationship with our LORD. Yet how often am I off running around, doing, doing, doing? Resisting the rest, the nurture I need so desperately that is found only in/with Him. I so need to practice stilling and quieting my soul. How difficult that can be.  So interesting how this psalm ties this peaceful soul to surrender. And humility. I need to humble myself to Him and surrender the ideas I may have, of how I think things should to be.  Only the LORD knows the path of blessing for us, beginning to end.  He needs no help from me.

I surrender all I cling to, all I worry about, LORD, to You.  My hope is in You.  You alone see things that are too wonderful for me to even conceive of.  I am lost in the forest and can only see the trees. You see the entire forest nestled on a hillside surrounded by lush green meadows, fields of wild flowers, lofty mountain peaks, rivers, lakes and more.  Thank you that I can rest. I can lean on your shoulder in stillness and quiet and find peace for my soul. Thank you for being patient with me.  Thank You that You keep calling for me to come close to You. Thank You that you are always at work and You are good, all of the time. So much to be thankful for!

My Father's Kingdom

"Do not be afraid little flock, 

for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."  

Luke 12:32

This is Jesus to His disciples, His followers.  I love the tender way He addresses them.  He calls them little flock.  He is after all the Great Shepherd Who came to rescue His own.  This  Shepherd wants us to understand that God has given us everything we need. Everything. We are a part of His kingdom.  We are safe, secure and dearly loved.  But it takes so long for us to really get it, and so long to be able to live out of it!

He starts by addressing fear.  Always the the heart issue first. We come to Him, initially, full of fear, fending for ourselves in this hard and dangerous world.  How we fend for ourselves all depends on our circumstances but we all come from aloneness, using flawed coping skills in order to survive and live well.  Living well takes on different meanings as it is corrupted by our natural bent toward selfishness. So we come, a mess.  Jesus wants to assure us that we need not fear. We can lay down our weapons.  As His, we are residents of God's kingdom.  God was pleased to give us this amazing home which can never be taken from us.  

Then He goes on to give instruction in how to live as residents of this amazing kingdom.  He wants us to serve Him as we wait for the fulfillment of this kingdom life on earth.  We can only do this when we are focused on Him and the eternal perspective of our home with Him.  I am feeling a deep stirring within me to grasp the nature of my Father and His great love for me in order to let go of my grip of things that concern me too much.  He wants my heart to feel free and unencumbered, in order that I can look beyond myself to be of use in kingdom work.  But also, and maybe more importantly, so I can enjoy the moments I find myself in, trusting that He is there; I am safe and I am loved.  I am known, understood and valued.  Deep calling to deep.  My Savior calling to me, one of His little flock.  My Father, pleased to give to me, His kingdom.  If I could live completely out of that I would be free indeed. A heart untroubled by the cares of the world.

Help me Lord, to really know and understand, deep within my heart what You have been pleased to give me.  Forgive me for hanging on to things that are empty and useless, things I have no control over. Help me to see the opportunities you have place around me. Thank you for making a way for me by Your own sacrifice. Thank you for loving me and the entire world with your merciful grace.  The fact is,

For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:43

May I treasure You with all my heart!