Weaned From the World: How To Have A Soul At Rest

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quited my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore." Psalm 131

Weaned from the World
A Reflection on Psalm 131

Psalm 131 reveals a David who has learned something only time, pain, and surrender can teach. Late in life, David understands that pride, selfish ambition, and the need for control always produce unrest in the soul. They promise satisfaction, but they leave us anxious and exhausted.

David says his soul is now “calm and quiet,” like a child weaned from its mother. The image is powerful. A child who still depends on its mother’s milk cries when it does not receive what it wants. Its peace is dependent on something outside itself. But a weaned child no longer demands milk. It rests. It is content. It trusts.

David compares his former hunger for the world to that milk. For a season, he was driven by ambition, achievement, and control. His soul could not rest because it was not satisfied in God. But now, he has been weaned. The things of the world no longer rule his heart. God does.

With this, David calls God’s people to the same posture. He urges us to place our hope in the Lord from this moment forward, not in the world. When our hope is in God alone, we are weaned from the world. And when we are weaned from the world, the soul finally finds what it has been longing for all along—rest, contentment, and peace.

Whatever is stirring restlessness in your soul and robbing your heart of peace, lay it down before the Lord. Release your grip on what you were never meant to carry. Place your hope fully in Him, and rest today in His sovereignty, His love, His power, and His perfect will.