Songs of the Soul: A Lent DevotionalSample

The subtitle for Psalm 131 is “A Song of Ascents”, which traditionally is affiliated with Jewish pilgrimages up to Jerusalem to worship and be with the Lord. Although the pilgrims would physically be looking up as they journey towards this great feat, the psalmist teaches not to lift up our hearts, raise our eyes, or occupy ourselves with marvellous things.

As Christians, we do not make this same pilgrimage, but we do have daily temptations to pursue greatness as we pilgrim through life. The message to do and be more, to ascend the social ladder, the office hierarchy, or pursue name recognition, is pervasively all around us. What this psalm challenges us with is the truth that great and marvellous achievements in the world bring about pride and dissatisfaction, instead of peace and joy.

Psalm 131 leaves us with a radical message — Do Less. In order to find peace that truly calms and quiets our souls, we need to aspire to less and simply position ourselves before the Lord like a weaned child with its mother.

Returning to the subtitle’s reference to the Jewish “Ascent” pilgrimages, I imagine a mother with her young child carrying her throughout the long journey. The child is not used to so much walking, all the new smells and sights, and probably finds herself in states of fear or uncertainty. Despite whatever she might face, she knows from experience that her mother is safe, her provider and sustainer. She knows this not from a logical, abstract position, but from their personal history of daily, maybe even hourly, feedings. In order to find peace and calm, the child does not have to do anything great or marvellous, she only needs to draw near to her mother.

The Lord is like a faithful mother who has already provided all that is needed and has proved Himself over and over to be trustworthy. Doing and aspiring to do less depends on knowing the One who has already provided and done it all. The question resides with us, the weaned children: will we trust and remain close to our mother or will we attempt to ascend on our own with fear and uncertainty?

He will carry us all the way, and He will nourish us with what the world and our accomplishments cannot. May our hearts not ascend up, but in, towards the One who is, was, and will be.

John Slosted
Youth Ministry

Prayer:
Lord, I pray that I would occupy myself with the things You did, are doing, and will do, not with my own work. May I do less, for You have done it all.