The days of my child running into his mother’s arms and jumping into her lap are over. It would be a little painful, awkward, and well, creepy for a 29 year old to be coddled in such a way. No Norman Bates in this household. We have passed the duty and joy of coddling and cuddling onto his wife.
Yet as I remember those moments, I am reminded of what a beautiful and touching sight it is to see a young child in the arms of their mother – where they find comfort, peace, security, and love.
The 131st Psalm is three simple verses that pictures a beautiful image of just such an event. It repeats the line that worshippers are like weaned children with their mothers. But why use the word “weaned”?
Tiny children will be in their mother’s lap for nourishment. It is simple biology. But their comes a point where the child no longer has that need to be met by their mother. They grow and eat solid food, and accommodate meeting their needs other ways.
And now, when they are there in the mother’s embrace, it is because they find joy, satisfaction, love. They are there not because they have to be there, but because they want to be there.
This imagery is all the more tender and precious. and it this which the psalmist portrays as all the more reason of why we should go to worship. Not because we have to, not because we are trained to, not because we are scared into it … but because we want to.
And in the Lord’s arms, we find joy, satisfaction, love.
So ask yourself, “Why do I worship God?” I pray it is because you want to. Today, calm and quiet your soul in the arms of the One who loves you. Spend some time with Him. Because you want to!
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.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalm 131
Muddy Shoes by Todd 
Leave a Reply