God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content. Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always! Psalm 131:1-3 MSG

Devotion

When my daughter was a baby, she was given a little blue bunny. She loved that bunny deeply. To calm herself, she would put her thumb in her mouth and rub its soft ear against her nose. That bunny was her source of security. With her bunny, she could fall asleep. With her bunny, she was brave enough for childcare. With her bunny, she could cope with big feelings. Even when she had surgery, it was her bunny that eased her fears and dried her tears.

But here’s the thing, we all have a bunny. We all look for something to hold onto for comfort. Sometimes our source of comfort is exercise. Sometimes it’s the sense of community we get from complaining or gossiping. Sometimes it’s the busyness of work. Other times, it’s something unhealthy for our minds and bodies. And for some, like me, that desperate search for comfort can even turn into addiction.

But when we lean into the truth, we realize our “bunnies” have limits. As Paul David Tripp writes in Everyday Gospel, they are “temporary fixes for eternal longings.” In Psalm 131, we see that David understood true security isn’t found in what we clutch, but in whom we rest. He wasn’t striving to rule the roost or control his circumstances. Instead, he wrote, “I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.” He chose the posture of a child. He chose to be still, surrendered, and satisfied simply because of whose arms he was in. His peace wasn’t about what was in his hands, but whose hands were holding him.

You see, abiding in God is the remedy for the moments that try to steal our peace. Period. As David shows us, abiding is a choice. We can choose to be still. We can choose to surrender. We can choose satisfaction in him. We can choose to set down, or set aside, anything that offers only a temporary fix. We can choose God. We can choose his Word. We can choose to devote ourselves to his presence.

Today, may we find the courage to let go of the bunny and choose to abide in God.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for being the only true source of rest. Lord, I confess that I often look for security in things that cannot last, or I try to "rule the roost" by controlling everything around me. Please help me to cultivate a quiet heart. When the world feels chaotic, help me to stop striving and simply be still. Like a child content in a mother’s arms, may my soul find total peace in your presence. Help us to choose to seek you. Amen.

Beth DeGrace
Pastor, Kids - Edmond

Resources:

Listen to Abide by The Worship Initiative.
Read Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life by Paul David Tripp.

Explore other devotions like this one any time at crossings.church/devotions .