Teaching Tuesday: Beyond Belief - Solitude

Series: Beyond Belief
Sermon: Rest for the Restless (5.18.25)
Watch the messages HERE. 

“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. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” — Psalm 131

Psalm 131 is one of the shortest chapters in the Bible, yet it contains profound wisdom for the restless heart. Written by David, this psalm is a beautiful declaration of humility, surrender, and quiet trust in the Lord. In just three verses, David captures the essence of what it means to walk with God in peace. As such, it’s a perfect passage for our sermon on the practice of solitude in our series Beyond Belief.

Solitude is less about a specific checklist of things to do and not to than it is about a heart posture of contemplation and meditation on God, with God, through prayer and through his word.

The Psalm opens with a renunciation of pride: “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty.” In a world that often celebrates ceaseless ambition, self-promotion, and striving for more, David’s words are a countercultural confession. He acknowledges that spiritual maturity involves recognizing our limitations and letting go of the need to have all the answers or be in control.

David continues, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” This doesn’t imply apathy or a lack of concern, but rather a childlike trust in God’s sovereignty. There are mysteries in life we simply cannot fully grasp this side of heaven: the extent of free will; how God’s will manifests today and how he will use what happens now for his ultimate purposes; what eternity will be like; etc. David models the wisdom of resting in what God has revealed and entrusting the unknown to him.

The heart of this Psalm - and the heart of Sunday’s sermon - lies in verse 2: “But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother.” This image is rich with meaning. A weaned child no longer cries out in anxious dependence but rests tranquilly, content simply to be near its mother. David uses this picture to describe his soul’s posture toward God. No longer agitated by unmet demands or fears of the future, he has found peace in God’s presence.

When Jesus talked about his followers having the faith of a child he was talking about this same kind of quiet trust - even implicit trust - like a weaned child who is reassured, calmed, loved and then, yes, fed just by being in the presence of her father or mother.

This quote from German theologian Artur Weiser is worth spending some time with:

“The follower of Jesus is not like an infant crying loudly for his mother’s breast, but like a weaned child who quietly rests by his mother’s side; happy in being with her. No selfish desire now comes between the mature believer and his God because he is sure that God knows what he needs before he asks it and just as the child gradually breaks off the habit of regarding his mother only as a means of satisfying his own desires and learns to love her for her own sake, so the worshiper - after a struggle - has reached an attitude of mind where he desires God because he is God, and not as a means of fulfillment for his own wishes. His life’s center of gravity has shifted; he now rests no longer in himself, poorly, but in God, fully.”

This calm, quiet trust is not something that happens by accident. David says, “I have calmed and quieted myself,” indicating intentional spiritual discipline. He chose to quiet his soul, likely through prayer, meditation on God’s Word, and surrender. Peace often requires an active turning away from distractions and an intentional turning toward God. In other words: solitude.

Psalm 131 closes with a call to all of Israel: “Put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” This is the foundation of the quiet heart: hope in God. When our lives are built on the unchanging character of the Lord, we are free to let go of pride, release our anxious striving, and rest in his care and his promises.

Reflection:
Are there areas in your life where you’re striving to control what only God can manage? Are you agitated and overwhelmed by the seeming largeness of the world’s problems and your own? Take a moment today to quiet your soul before the Lord. Like David, make the choice to rest in the arms of your heavenly Father—content, calm, and full of hope. Begin building the habit of practicing solitude. You’ll be surprised at the peace it brings.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to let go of pride and the need to understand all things. Teach me to trust you like a weaned child, quiet and content in your presence. Help me grow in knowledge and love of you and in spiritual maturity at the pace of Jesus. Fill me with your peace as I place my hope in you both now and always. Amen.

TO KNOW HIM AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!

- Pastor Brady