WEDNESDAY

Psalm 131

Have you ever felt the urge to pray, “Our Mother, who is in heaven?” There are probably lots of reasons why you likely have not, and we’re not going to get into all of those today, but what is interesting about our passage today is that this psalm (as do other places in Scripture like Isaiah 49:15 and Matthew 23:37) does use distinctly maternal imagery to describe our relationship with God. (Apparently, there are good things that can be said about God and our relationship with him that typical fatherly imagery doesn’t quite capture.) The psalm is only three verses long, but it packs a lot into those three verses. It begins with humility. It ends with hope. And in the middle, it describes our relationship with God being that of a calmed, quieted, and contented weaned child with its mother. The imagery is not quite the same as that of Isaiah 49:15, where we are likened to a nursing child, but rather one that has a relationship that has gone beyond simply being nourished to the loving companionship of presence. Calm, quiet, and content, not just because my stomach is full, but rather because of the quality of just being together. God is not just a source from which I get what I need, but a person that I love to be with. That is the picture of how God is with us that David shares in this psalm and invites us to contemplate and embrace. Take a few moments to do just that as you reflect on these questions:

• To what extent does your own experience with God resonate with, or feel dissonance with, the sentiments in verse 1?

• To what extent does your own experience with God reflect the imagery of verse 2, in which your relationship with God is more one of contented companionship than neediness?

• To what extent is the hope you experience in your relationship with God rooted more in God’s provision, God’s companionship, or both? Explain.

• What unique contribution does this imagery provide as you ponder the ways that God is present with us?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you enjoy a few moments of companionship with God.