We all know that children aren’t always calm, quiet, or content. They can be restless, and their restlessness can quickly accelerate to temper tantrums. If we’re honest, though, the same is true for us adults. Our meltdowns look a little different, although not as much as we would like.
The author of Psalm 13 is having an adult meltdown. He feels neglected by God. Overlooked. Abandoned. He’s in pain, and he wants God to see his pain and do something about it. We’re not told the reason for his pain, but we get his frustration. He hurls questions at God. How long is this going to last? How long until I get answers? Why aren’t you fixing this? After the questions come a demand, perhaps accompanied by crossed arms, a glare, and a foot stomp. Answer me!
Finally, he stops. Sighs. And remembers God’s steadfast love for him. He quiets himself. There are parallels to another of his psalms, Psalm 131.
“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me..” (Psalm 131:2).
Our souls need quiet time, times of inner calm, where we “let go and let God.” We decide to trust, like the child who trusts a parent because they must. A child has no alternative; we do. This is not to say we don’t get upset by things going on around us, but, ultimately, we choose whether to react with constant anger or we can trust in our God of steadfast love. Our souls need restful trust.
A weaned child no longer cries for milk but rests in the security of love. In this psalm, it’s the picture of mature faith: faith that no longer demands constant proof of God’s care but simply rests in it. Such peace doesn’t come easily or naturally. The psalmist says, “I have calmed and quieted my soul.” It’s an intentional act of surrender.
When we allow our souls to be quieted by God’s presence and trust fully in God’s love, we begin to live from a place of steady peace rather than restless effort. It’s a place of holy stillness.
Prayer: God of peace, quiet my heart today. Teach me to rest in your love as a child rests in its loving parent’s arms. Help me to release my anxious striving and to trust that you are enough. May my soul find its peace and calm in you. Amen.
