Sunday, January 6, 2008
Psalm 37:1-11
37:1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself 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 act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
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!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace. (ESV)
by Paula Davis
I have always had trouble being still. When I was little, I had an uncle who would trap me as I ran around my grandparents’ home during holiday gatherings and make me sit still for a full minute. I thought I would die! Of course, if I wiggled or fought, he would start the time over again until I sat completely still for the entire time. I guess I really haven’t changed much as an adult. I don’t run through the house at family gatherings anymore, but I am rarely still. I always have to be doing something. God is waiting for us to be still long enough to hear him tell us how much he loves us, or to whisper his promises to us. But he is a gentleman. He rarely shouts above the noise and busyness of life to be heard by us, and unlike my uncle, God won’t trap us and hold us on his lap until we stop struggling and listen to him. He waits for us to come to him and be still before him.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
