Wednesday, September 21, 2011

something I've held on to

Psalm 37
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.


3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.


5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.


7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

That is overwhelmingly encouraging, instructive and promising. God gives clear dictation to those whom he loves.

First stanza I draw out that I should not worry because of injustice, or what feels like wrongs done against me. Problems fade with time, in properly trusting the Lord. Not to say I neglect them, or sweep them under the rug, but that in diligent prayer and reading the Word God fights for me and as Christ as my High Priest interceding for me, there is nothing that can conquer me. (See John 17:9) It also leads the inclination that, yes, evil will be done against me - so I am not to be surprised or taken off guard when it does happen.

Second stanza, and I will be brief, I am greatly amazed at the firmness of the command to "Trust in the Lord" non-conditional. It is an infinitive verb to trust. Consistently, continually having a faith that grows. Then that is followed with "do good". So as I am to practice trust, I am to simultaneously do good expressively. That ties right into verse 4, which is self explanatory, yet profound in the depth and richness of that statement.

It's almost as if verses 3-6 are saying the same thing in different terms. A, B, metering couplet so to speak. And verse 7 is this grand kicker. Be still before Yahweh. And wait with patience for Him. Oh my goodness, to pray and meditate over these verses. So much is in there. So much meaning to my life.

All that considering the meeting I had with Josh Whitney this morning. We spoke for an hour, and he gave me wisdom, council and advise on many good things. We spoke mainly of ministry/future leadership and marriage. Then when I read this later on today, I was immensely struck by what the Holy Spirit was telling me. Things aren't as bad as I let them become in my head. Sometimes I just need to be rattled a bit as reminders to trust God.

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