1 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.
“I
don’t involve myself in great matters,” David says in v. 1. “Great matters”-
the Hebrew adjective is repeated: “great great.” As if someone were walking
through life with a loud voice, acting important.
Nor
does he involve himself in things that are “too marvelous” for him. The NIV say “too wonderful.” In Hebrew
“wonderful” often refers to God’s miracles. A form of the word is used in
Isaiah 9:6 - His Name is wonderful.
David means that some things, most things perhaps, are simply “too wonderful” for us. We cannot manage or change them. Or even bear them sometimes. They belong to the Lord and must be given to Him.
Instead of fretting, this great warrior king, a man’s man if there ever was one, says he
becomes like a child with his mother, calming and quieting his soul. “Like a
weaned child with its mother.”
Why does he say “a weaned child?” A nursing baby lives in a
world of self-seeking, of infantile demand. A hungry baby knows only one thing
to do : fuss until she is fed.
But a weaned child has learned to trust. She knows her mother
will feed her and protect her. So she can sit next to her mom without grasping
and demanding—just quietly, contentedly, knowing everything is okay. There are
plenty of worrisome things out there, but they are not hers to
handle.
It’s curious how the Bible portrays children as examples of
both doubt and trust. “Do not be children in your thinking” (1 Cor. 14:20), but “unless
you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven” (Matthew 18:3). To become mature is to give up childish ways
(1 Cor. 13:11), but yet when we become Christians we are called children of
God.
I think it comes down to being either childish or childlike.
The former is demanding, impatient, fearful. The
latter is submissive, trusting, centered. Even after so many years of being a
Christian, I’m still trying to grow out of my childish ways and into childlike
trust.
I keep thinking of that phrase: “I don't concern myself with things too wonderful for me.” I made a list the other
night under the heading “TWFM” - too wonderful for me. I wrote down 10 matters that
had been knotting up my stomach, and decided to quiet my soul. If King David learned to lean trustingly on
the Lord, like a weaned child does with his mother, I can, too.
I wish that for you and for me: “O Israel, hope in
the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”
