The Sunday News
I WRITE today to encourage you never to give up and do not even think of quitting. It is not over yet. You are in the right direction. There is hope. Remember there is no dream that has an expiry date! When you get fretful its normal. God wants you to stay in the up mode when everything else points you down. In Psalm 37 he shows us how. There will be times when you see those people who you think should not be favoured because of their Godless lifestyles doing well. Do not lose sleep over that.
The Bible divides people into two groups. The righteous and the wicked. The righteous people are not perfect but are those who have a right relationship with God. It is about relationship. They recognise God as God and relate to him appropriately. They seek to know him and live by his precepts, whereas the wicked reject his ways and rebel against his laws. The frustrating reality is when you realise that frequently bad things happen to the righteous and yet the wicked seem to be in a continuously comfortable space.
The first 8 verses of Psalm 37 give us 7 steps that can see you enjoying God in a time of crisis when all else is breaking down. The current crisis could be in your view man-made or indicative of the end of the world. When even preachers make people eat snakes, and my foot someone then lets that snake taste like “Chomp!” How cheap this god of theirs is, at least if there is a chocolate miracle why not believe God for an expensive Swiss milk chocolate which you have to fly to get not that which you can get even at a kiosk!
On the other hand the current problems could have nothing to do with the end of the world but simply human greed and sin.
Step one is DON’T FRET! Do not worry. In the first eight verses of this psalm the words do not fret are recorded three times to show you and me that worry is not your portion. Worry is a choice that you can decide not to entertain. Even when it looks like the only way out decide against it by trusting that God is in control. Always have the focus that God is God and will always be ready to behave like God.
The following steps are binary TRUST IN THE LORD . . . AND DO GOOD. These are inseparable. You cannot do one without the other. These two refer to a lifestyle. When you obey God you can only do so because you trust him. Similarly when you trust him there is the outcome of doing good works.
He then goes on to say DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD. You have to constantly ask your yourself what do you delight in? What is your greatest source of pleasure? If knowing God is not our highest joy and delight, then we do not know God very well. And if we do not know God very well, it is only because we have not invested enough time in developing our relationship with God.
Speaking from his own experience, plus the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David says that when we delight in God, God gives us the desires of our hearts. When we delight in God, then the desires of our hearts will be in line with God’s will. When our desires are in line with God’s will, God can safely give us the desires of our hearts. This is so because those same desires will be his authorship. In fact, when we delight in God it results in increased intimacy with God.
The psalmist goes on to say COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD. This is not as easy as it is said. There is more than we read. Commitment is important. Deep, satisfying relationships like marriage, friendship, and discipleship all require commitment.
The word translated as, “commit,” means “to roll something onto something else.” The Apostle Peter probably had Psalm 37.5 on his mind, when he wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on (God) because he cares for you.” Casting our cares on God, rolling our burdens onto the Lord, that is what David means, when he tells us to commit our way to the Lord.
Committing our way to the Lord includes going to God in prayer, taking our problems to the foot of the cross; and leaving them there, with God.
Committing our way to the Lord includes seeking God’s presence. Placing our problems in God’s hands and then trusting God’s will while depending on God’s timing.
I cannot get over the line where he says BE STILL BEFORE THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM. This entails telling God our problems and then waiting patiently before him. We should listen twice as much as we talk. Singamhambeli phambili uNkulunkulu!
It is not an easy step for human beings who always think and see material things as reality. God sees otherwise!
Lastly we see the closing step when he says REFRAIN FROM ANGER AND TURN FROM WRATH. We all get angry. The Apostle Paul gives us two especially helpful commands about dealing with the anger we all feel at times. “‘In your anger do not sin” and “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26) If we sincerely desire God to help us to obey these two commands, then we can ask for . . . and receive God’s help.
As we practice these seven steps, we can experience what Jesus was talking about, when He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you . . . Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)
So once again do not worry, there is hope as we move forward in 2015. May August do you well, Shalom!
