His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
in those who hope in His steadfast love. Psalm 147:10-11
This is my meditation for today. Currently I’m sitting next to my baby’s rocker, carefully tapping the keyboard with soft fingers so as not to wake her.
At this point she’s 6 weeks, but day naps still aren’t her norm yet. Who knows how long this moment will last? She’s already stirring in her slumber. I’ll thus make this post brief.
Motherhood, as many shared with me during my pregnancy, is no easy task. Despite the physical exhaustion and constant temptation to worry, I’m finding rest in the fact that the Lord does not value accomplishment as the world does.
Our society loves to praise success, in part because we are designed to recognize excellence, the most excellent Being being God Himself.
However, this tendency to esteem the star athlete and the wealthy businessman, or what is obviously impressive, can often relish in pride and overlook the most beautiful though meek blessings, like caring for a young life.
Our world may overlook the humble duty of caring for a young life, but God does not. Share on XThis verse, part of the lovely Psalm 147 (I highly encourage you to read the whole thing!) shows a stunning truth about our Creator.
God takes deep pleasure not in the powerful displays of His creatures, but in the creatures that humbly love Him.
He is drawn to those who revere Him, who place their trust in Him. This truth greatly shapes my perspective and attitude in raising Amariah.
I ultimately desire to treasure the Lord and depend on His strength, not my own.
I desire to share my dependent love for Jesus with her.
As long as my heart is inwardly bowed toward God, even in my weakest motherhood moments He is delighted.
The Lord is delighted in our mothering when we fear Him and love Him through it, even when it doesn’t go as planned.
I share this as an encouragement. Whatever season you’re in in life, it’s easy to fall into the tiresome track of perfectionism or to seek temporary affirmation from the world, and in turn lose heart and lose focus on what matters.
When you’re secure in Christ’s love, when you have peace in knowing He has saved you from sin and grants you eternal life, you can worship God in any circumstances and thus bring Him pleasure.
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Psalm 147:1
First off, congratulations on your little one!
What a beautiful post! I particularly loved your thoughts on that God isn’t drawn to our big displays but to our humble hearts that humbly seek Him. A beautiful statement that I have so taken for granted!
Thank you so much for writing this post!
Thank you, Erin! I wrote this post during her newborn days, and 9 months later I’m still learning so much about serving God through mothering. That our God treasures the meek moments is still a wondrous truth to me.
I am definitely in the season of raising three toddlers right now, where all three run in different directions making a mess everywhere they go. Yet in all circumstance I want to give thanks to my Lord who has been so patient with me all these years.
Diana
The mom life can be chaotic but it’s amazing how God uses it to humble us and grow us into a deeper love for Him. Thank you for reading, Diana!
The work of motherhood has taught me so much about humility and service. It’s not just about keeping the laundry folded.
So true, Jennifer! I feel the same way. Mothering/homemaking goes way deeper than our to-do list to the point of impacting eternal souls. Our world doesn’t always acknowledge it, but it is beautiful work God has so graciously given us.
I thought this post might not be relevant for me cause I don’t have kids yet – but it struck home so hard. Perfectionism and overly high standards I place on myself is something I’ve been struggling with, and it’s such a good reminder to find my security in Christ’s love.
Yes, I wrote this thinking about motherhood, but the sweet truth from this psalm can be applied to anyone! Our worth is in Christ, who loves us and gives us a higher purpose than ourselves. When we approach Him in humility, He is pleased, and that matters more than any human praise.
Motherhood is so special to God. He sees everything we do for our children and loves us for it. If we love our children out of service for God then He is blessed. Thanks for sharing.
Well said, Anne! Our children are incredible gifts and it’s a blessing to care for them to God’s glory.
A good, convicting read. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading, Elizabeth!
Firstly Congrats on your baby 🙂 Yay 🙂
Thank you for this post its so beautiful. I wish I had read this when my first baby was born 6.5yrs ago. Still the encouragement in your post is ringing true for me today. Where I am tempted to go for the grandeur and illusion of perfection, I find God gently reminding me through you to enjoy the now and be present.
Well done momma 🙂
Thank you for your sweet words, Ailie! I feel this is a lesson I will continue learning over and over again in different ways as my family grows. Like you said, when we humble ourselves we can truly see the beauty in the present.