God's Glory Church

“My soul is taken away from me like a child.” — Psalm 130:2

In a newspaper article, a psychiatrist was giving advice to a reader named Brenda, who complained of dissatisfaction with her life. Her ambitious projects did not materialize, and she suffered from disappointment. In response, the psychiatrist wrote that a person should not be happy. By nature, she is destined “only to survive and reproduce.” We are doomed to run after the “attractive but unattainable butterfly” of happiness. “Very few,” he added, “managed to achieve satisfaction.”

I imagined how Brenda felt after reading the psychiatrist’s nihilistic reasoning, and how different she would feel after reading the Bible. In Psalm 130, David talks about how to be content. At first, he humbly puts aside his royal ambitions, decides not to enter into the great and unattainable (v. 1). Then he quiets his heart before God (v. 2), trusting his future in His hands (v. 3). The result is beautiful: his soul is calmed, as a child is finally calmed after being weaned from its mother’s breast (v. 2).

In a sinful and corrupt world, the feeling of contentment sometimes seems like an unattainable dream. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11-13 writes that he learned to be content. But if we believe that our purpose is “only to survive and reproduce”, then the search for pleasure is like chasing an elusive butterfly. David shows another way: finding contentment through rest in God’s presence.

When do you experience the most satisfaction? How can you set aside a special time to be quiet before God?

God, I rest in You, the deep source of my true contentment.

Author: Sheridan Voysey