We are very familiar with verses 3-5, especially the promises in each of these verses. However, in order to enjoy the promises, we have a part to play.
Vs. 3 – Trust in the Lord and do good, THEN you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Prosper 2nd … trust Him 1st. I can trust Him because I know who He is. If I know who He is, I will choose to do what God’s word says, not just the parts I like to do or that are easy or convenient to do.
Vs. 4 – Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
My heart’s desires – 2nd … delighting in the Lord – 1st. To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in their presence, which happens only when we know that person well. What I give my constant attention to is what I enjoy.
Vs. 5 – Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust Him, and He will help you.
Help 2nd – commit 1st. Commit means to entrust everything to His control, saying to God, I believe You can take better care of me and my everything than I can.
We cannot do these 3 verses without vs. 7 – “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” There’s that awful “W” word…“wait.” Wait? Wait? I want it yesterday. The word “in” really stood out to me as I read this verse – “Be still IN the presence of the Lord.” It is impossible to be still in the world...we need the presence of the Lord! The Message Remix bible says, “Quiet down before Him, be prayerful before Him.” It’s my soul (mind, will & emotions) that needs to quiet down while I’m waiting, but I also think that quiet means quiet... there is a time to not talk and just listen. I love how it says to be “prayerful” before Him… it doesn’t say praying... it says prayerful! Prayerful to me is an attitude of heart...it’s quiet, anticipation of God’s voice. Vs. 34 says, “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path.” As I allow God to choose the best time to change my circumstances, I will continue to do what God has asked me to do.
There is so much in this Psalm... what spoke to your heart?
2 comments:
I also saw this chapter as a lesson in patience, as it were. 7 - Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act. 34 - Put your hope in the Lord, travel steadily along his path. Such good verses to life by!
Tonight (I guess this morning) I have been working. It has been an odd shift, because I have seen the helicopter come and go out of here twice. I've only seen it a few times this whole last year of working here on nights, but twice tonight. Once I could tell they were taking a small child out of here (probably to Omaha) and another time they were bringing an adult in (probably from a small town nearby). It has had me thinking about the value we place on life in this country compared to other countries I have been to (at least life after birth). No thought was probably given to affordability or insurance coverage for the patient or anything like that. This service is gut-wrentchingly expensive, but if someone needs life flight, someone gets life flight.
After watching this all night, verse 39 meant something new to me. "The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him." He is there for us like that life flight helicopter... taking us out of danger and putting us where we are safest. Protecting us from the wicked icy roads and delivering us to shelter. When we are serving Him, it does not matter the balance of our checkbooks or how much debt load we have. It does not matter what the doctor's said about our prognosis. It does not matter who we are or who we know. We have life flight!
This is one of my favorite psalms of all time. The first 6 verses are awesome. Also, one of my favorite verse in the Bible is v. 25 "The righteous are never forsaken, nor will their children be begging for bread." In the Amplified it says several times in this Psalm "uncompromisingly righteous". The "uncompromisingly righteous are never forsaken, nor their children begging for bread." I love that. He will never, ever leave me forsaken, and my children will not go without what they need no matter the economic climate, no matter the number of dollars I have in my bank account, no matter the season, my children will not go without and He will take care of us. We, the righteous, are never forsaken. I love that verse, but I do think it indicates some responsibility on our part. The "uncompromisingly" word in the Amplified I found particularly convicting! Righteousness is a free gift, but we have to walk it out "uncompromisingly" to reap the fruit of righteousness to it's fullness. If you like this Psalm, you'll like the message tomorrow in church! I liked your post and comment.
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