Ewald Schmidt

A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131:1-2

Worrying is the biggest illness of our time. Life sets such high expectations on us. There are so many things that are above our ability to handle. We worry about the increasing fuel prices, we suffer together when we talk about the crime rate in South Africa. We worry about our future: we question our readiness to handle the road that lies ahead of us.

God’s children throughout history have survived some extreme times, with events like the Great Depression, World Wars, the Spanish flu, concentration camps, etc. Yes, there are some things in life that are too much to handle. What do we do with those events?

David discovered an important fact of living in faith. We always need to remember to whom we belong. We are God’s children. We were created to be dependent on the Lord. Pride has no place in our lives. We do not need to impress people, trying to be more important in society than we really are. We need to realise that God set a high value on us when he paid the ultimate price for us at Calvary. I am not worth less than anybody else in God’s eyes. I also do not need to be haughty, for I am not worth more than anybody else in God’s eyes either. I belong to God and I am treasured by him. That is all that is important to know about my worth in life.

When we realise that we are treasured and loved by God, we can relax in life. I was made to be dependent on God. It is a huge step forward when we realise that we can leave the world and its problems in God’s capable hands.

David uses such a beautiful image to explain God’s care for his children. Imagine a baby, content in its mother’s arms. The baby might be upset when a nappy needs changing or when it gets hungry. But the mother takes care of all the needs that may arise in the baby’s day. We need to remember that God is a loving Father, he knows what we need even before we pray about it. Jesus said so in Matthew 6:8, and in verse 27 he said that we would not add one hour to our lives by worrying.

We need to learn to trust God for today. Leave the bigger cares in God’s hands. That makes our burden in life so much lighter!

Prayer: Lord, you have created me. You know how to take care of me, and all my needs. Teach me to trust in you for every need I have. Some things are too big for me to handle on my own. Help me to leave those in your hands. Thank you for your provision in my life! Amen