Follow the Path He Made

Psalms 37:1-11

This Psalm is a favorite, notably the instructions presented in verses 3, 4, 5,, 7 and 8 respectively.

• Trust in the Lord and do good
• Take delight in the Lord
• Commit your way to the Lord
• Be still before the Lord
• Refrain from anger and turn from wrath

Practicing these habits will enhance each day. Without trust in God, we only have man to trust in---that's not nearly enough, nor beneficial. We all know that humans are lacking in the perfection department. We are not trustworthy on our own.  Only Jesus can cultivate this trait in us. Because He Died.

Because He Died, we can take delight in Him. We can enjoy how he loves, how he cares for us, and how he guides and protects us.

Doing anything on our own is not productive, nor wise. Even the smallest chore or concern, when shared with Jesus in prayer (or in your journal -- if you are like me), is submitted to Him, not relying on ourselves. He cares about all aspects of our life and each day. Because He Died, we have the freedom to live for Him.

This world is a loud place to live. The TV blares, our phones buzz, Facebook beckons, Instagram share pictures and twitter is alive with opinions. The most profound direction comes from quiet times with God. Daily stillness before the Lord.

The way to cultivate love is to refrain from anger and turn from wrath. This holds true in our family relationships, the workplace and when in public. Love is always the answer and is available Because He Died.

Wicked Vs. Godly: Who Wins?

Psalm 37

We are in week 3 of the "Thank-full" series at UALC.  Psalm 37 is full of hope for those who trust God.  For those who don't?  Not so much.  In fact, this psalm of David does not mince words about what will happen to the wicked:

• they will soon wither and die away (v. 2)
• those who are evil will be destroyed (v. 9)
• the wicked will be no more (v. 10)
• the Lord laughs at the wicked - he knows their day is coming (v. 13)
• their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken (v. 15)
• the power of the wicked will be broken (v. 17)
• the wicked will perish (v. 20)
• those the Lord curses will be destroyed (v. 22)
• wrongdoers will be completely destroyed - and their offspring (v. 298)
• all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked (v. 38)

We can all agree we don't want to throw our lot in with the wicked, can't we?  So how can we cultivate a heart that is full of thankfulness for what God has done for us?  Let's take a look at the other side of the coin:

• Trust in the Lord and do good (v. 3)
• Take delight in the Lord (v. 4)
• Commit your way to the Lord (v. 5)
• Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (v. 7)
• Turn from anger and turn from wrath (v. 8)
• The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him (v. 23)
• Turn from evil and do good (v. 27)
• Hope in the Lord and keep his way (v. 34)
• Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace (v. 37)

Look at the active verbs:  trust, delight, commit, hope.  God has given us his word, and it is a roadmap for how to live a godly life.  And, thanks be to God, he has given us his son.  We can't be 'good' on our own, but we can ask the Holy Spirit to daily make us more like Him.  

Time Well Spent

I think I was in eighth grade when singer and actor David Cassidy took his turn as teen idol for adolescent girls. (Heartthrobs are like tennis champs: they reign for a time before succumbing to the next up-and-comer.) You couldn’t walk past a celebrity magazine newsstand without seeing his face plastered all over the place. He had talent, looks, fortune, and fame. The girls in my class loved him. The boys didn’t.

David Cassidy passed away last month. He was 67. Too young we might say. It is always sad to lose someone early, yet it was these, his last words that brought me up short and stopped me in my tracks: “So much wasted time.” That was it. How empty it must have felt to exit this life in such regret.

I do not share this story in pointy-finger judgment. Quite the contrary, Cassidy’s heartache jolts us awake from the slumber of routine and elicits a cry from our soul, “Lord, may this never be true of me!” Indeed, the pop singer’s daughter and actress, Katie Cassidy, tweeted, “This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love so as to never waste another minute ... thank you.” She has the right idea—to focus on the things that matter.

But how? How do we live a meaningful, fulfilling, satisfying life? Sharing gratitude is certainly a step in the right direction, yet we do well also to consider insight from another David of long ago, another musician, a psalm-writer. His advice? “Trust in the Lord and do good ... delight yourself in the Lord ... commit your way to the Lord ... be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” When we live openly before God this way, our interests and longings shift over time from the temporal glory of this world to God’s eternal glory and the next. We joyfully discover that the things that truly matter are also the things that last far beyond our lifetime and into forever—namely, loving God and loving other people, not only in the way we feel toward them, but even more so in the things we do for them. Others are served, and we savor satisfaction; God is delighted, and we find fulfillment. For time invested into that which is timeless is time well spent. No regrets.

Father, I confess I don’t always use my time well, in fact, I often don’t. I am truly sorry. Fill me with your Spirit that I would delight in your forever purposes and live this life in love and service to you and to all who journey this life with me. May my life matter for your kingdom. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Thank you for loving my soul and hearing my prayer. Amen.

Christ in me is life.

[Click here to read King David’s advice in Psalm 37:3-7.]

Just a Little Bit More

It is a story worth revisiting. Business tycoon and founder of Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller, was fabulously wealthy, America’s first billionaire. Think Warren Buffett or Bill Gates today. When asked one day, “How much money is enough?” Rockefeller replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Can there be a more profound description of human desire? It’s what we all want—just a little bit more. Another way of saying this is, more is never enough. It mocks us but never sates us. Regardless of our personal currency—be it money and means, accomplishment and adulation, position and power—the supply of more never meets the demand for more; there is no point at which the two intersect.

But what if we discovered “enough” were attainable, that we’d just been chasing the wrong things all along? What if our desires were to align with God’s desires, where mercy is more valuable than money, peace is more fulfilling than possessions, good is more precious than gain, and faithfulness is more treasured than fame? When it comes down to it, aren’t these the things that satisfy us? Don’t these reflections of God’s character soak deeper into our souls than the external pursuits of this world? Aren’t true contentment and rest found in these priceless things of God?

The psalmist said, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). It’s not that God is some sort of cosmic vending machine that spits out whatever we want; rather when we draw near to Him, the temporary things of this life are exposed for what they are, and our enlightened heart turns toward Him who said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

He himself is enough; we need nothing more.

Jesus, send your Spirit to me today, that I would set aside my desires and rest in yours. May I be fully content in you. Amen.

[Read today’s Scripture in Psalm 37:1-10.]

Rescued, Delivered, Saved

2 Timothy 3:12b (NIV) ...the LORD rescued me."

My journal entries every day should have the words, "the LORD rescued me" written on the page. When I look back over the day just finished, I know God saved me from ruin.  The danger that awaits us hourly would take our breath away were we able to see it all from afar. God is always pull us out of the traffic, calling us to His side, saving us from death; physical and spiritual.  

I am reading and studying Psalm 37.  What a testimony to God's love and rescue and protection. There is evil all around but the LORD delivers, He protects and saves His chosen.

A number of years ago I was searching for meaning to my life.  I questioned why I had been placed in the situation I found myself.  I cried out to God for help, for a way out of my circumstances. For a few weeks after that time the words, "trust and obey," would come from now where.  The words to the old song would be on the radio.  A peer would speak them in my presence and I would feel a chill.  I was certain God was trying to tell me something.

Instead of feeling helpless, deserted, I began to sense God's presence and I started to lean on Him. I wanted Him to keep talking to me, to direct me and free me from the bondage I was in. Trust in the LORD and do good, words from Psalm 37 spoke to my heart. I learned from this period of my life just how much God wants me to be with Him.

I understand how alive and active, God's Word truly is.  I know I can turn to it and be refreshed and rescued all at the same time.

2 Timothy 3:10-17