Psalm 131
I am not conceited, LORD, and I don't waste my time on impossible schemes. But I have learned to feel safe and satisfied, just like a young child on its mother's lap. People of Israel, you must trust the LORD now and forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Last week, my nephew Timothy came home from daycare one day feeling very tired and cranky. He stood in the middle of the room and cried, saying, “I sad.” I scooped him up and soothed him. I really don’t know for sure why Timothy felt sad… and he might have simply been tired and unable to express that. The next day, I sat on my grandmother’s bed and wrapped her in a hug as she cried. I’m not sure exactly why she was so sad, except it was her 99th birthday, and she is feeling old and tired. In each case, my hug and snuggle was soothing to a point… but it was something of a “Band-aid” approach to the real cause of their sadness.
Sometimes the best thing I can give Timothy is a snuggle on my lap. He settles in when he is tired, sad, frightened… or just needs a hug. I know from his body language that he feels safe and satisfied. This reminds me of how secure I felt when I was little and an older cousin or an adult family member snuggled me. Now I find a grown-up comfort in snuggling in my husband’s arms. And in the last few years, I’ve come to truly appreciate the safety and satisfaction of settling into the lap of Jesus and resting there.
Hugs from another human being are important… and helpful. But the real hug we need is the one from God… the one that says, “I’ll handle this for you… just sit here and rest.” See, we can’t fix everything ourselves… and we’re crazy and conceited if we think we can. We must learn to really trust God to take our worries, cares, and burdens… our sins and our shortcomings… and sort them out, repair the damage, and set us upright again. And we must truly leave these things to God and not pick them up over and again.
After a little time, Timothy got down from my lap and started happily playing again. My grandmother dried her tears and greeted a well-wisher who had stopped in to say “Happy Birthday.” I didn’t fix their problems, but I made them feel loved and secure for a few minutes. And after God comforts us, we can slide off of His lap and move forward, restored and renewed. The difference is that God truly can handle things for us and make things better.
We are so blessed to have a God who loves us like this. We should be thanking Him daily for His love and comfort and truly trusting Him now and forever. The sooner we learn to turn to God for safety and satisfaction, the better. Have you spent some time in His lap lately?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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