like a little child

There are two readings for today.

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 131
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
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]
We all seem to have this built in ego that sees itself as more important than we are.
Even those who suffer from low self-esteem are battling a reverse pride, because they assume that they should be better than they are.
We shake the fist at God, or complain and criticize how He operates, as if we really understand how things are or ought to be (I think of the movie Bruce Almighty, where Bruce discovers its a lot harder being God than he imagined).
Psalm 131 is beautiful psalm that reminds us of the best position before the God of the Universe: to be like a humble, dependent child trusting in Him.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [Matthew 18:1]
They want to be important, they want to be on top; they are proud and haughty, and their self-important hearts are reaching for the heavens.
But Jesus echoes the spirit of Psalm 131, reminding them of how they should be.
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 18:2-4]
The greatest and the best are not the highest or the smartest (in the world’s eyes) but the humble, the dependent – like a little child.

Great matters, things to wonderful for me.
How does this apply to me?
One way is when we wrestle with big questions like the problem of evil and suffering, and challenge God for not doing more…
But maybe God is saying ‘leave those big things to me, you just focus on what you are doing about it’ (which is often nothing).
Just be faithful as a child, and leave the rest to me.
Trust me, and do what you can; I’ll figure out the big stuff.
I cannot change the world, but I can change my part in it.
I am just a small child compared to the big world we live in, and the big problems it is going through, but I can still do what a child does… and leave the rest to God!
Afterall, He is God, and we’re not.

PRAYER:
Lord, the world is in Your hands, and that’s fine with me. I rest in Your power and love, and I offer myself as a little child, in Your service!