Bible Reading: Psalms 37:1-7
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
A Reflection:
Most of the different translations of the original Hebrew text of the Psalms translate the first verse of Psalm 37 as ‘Do not fret’. Not being certain what it means ‘to fret’, I looked it up. It means ‘to be anxious’, or ‘to gnaw away’ or ‘to corrode’.
These have been anxious times, and the constant speculation and hostility that seem to dominate our news programmes only seem to increase the problem. I think we would all agree that anxiety is something that gradually gnaws away at our peace of mind, that gradually corrodes our faith. So, is there anything we can do about it?
In Psalm 37 King David points the way to an anxiety-free life. The first step, he says, is to trust in the Lord. Our God is bigger than all those who cause us problems, we can trust him to bring us safely through and lead is to ‘safe pasture’.
The second step is to take delight in the Lord. He has done great things for us, he loves us, he is with us, he knows the true desires of our heart and will meet them. Let us delight in him.
The next step seems to be to commit your ways to him. God has plans for your life, at whatever stage of life you are at. He will guide you and he will walk with you each step of the way.
And finally David says, ‘Be still before the Lord’. When anxiety creeps into your heart, stop for a moment, breathe slowly in and out, focus your mind on the goodness of God, and receive his peace as you wait patiently for him.
‘Do not fret’ is a command, not a suggestion. The solution is to take your eyes off the problem and to focus instead on the Lord. Trust him. Delight in him. Commit your ways to him. And be still…
Think for a moment on the things or the people that cause you to fret, to be anxious…
Pray:
Father God, I bring to you the things and the people that cause me to be anxious…
I put my trust in you. I delight in you. I commit my ways to you.
And in the stillness, Lord, I wait patiently for you.
Amen
Be still for the presence of the Lord, the holy one, is here