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“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:5-8 (NIV)

“Commit your way to the Lord” David tells us to be sincere about our following the LORD. When we are serious about an action, we do not see anything else but what is in front of us. We spend large quantities of time pursuing that goal. A teenager who runs track or cross-country spends time in practice perfecting his skill. We had a neighbor who jogged every night, weather permitting. It became part of his daily routine. They moved away and we eventually lost contact. A few years ago, I happened to see him and his wife. We caught each other up on where our children were and what they were doing. Their son was running in marathons.

“trust in him and he will do this” When we rely on God, he does not forget. As we need Him to, He reminds us of the time when He did something to carry us through a difficult time. In the advent readings I am catching up on, (The Sunday school class I am visiting, read this book each day during Lent) the author included a word to which I can relate: choose. The scripture reading, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, was one I found 30 years ago. The words choose life in that Biblical passage helped me change my thought process from fearful to hopeful.

“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn” God will allow you to see yourself as He sees you. As His child, God sees each one of us as dearly loved. He justifies every individual who accepts Him into his or her heart. Have you ever watched the sunrise? When we came back from our son’s one morning recently, at one point, we had to turn onto another road and go east. The sun was the biggest and brightest we had ever seen. It was all we could see. Hubby had to be careful as he drove on that road but the sight was unforgettable.

“the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” While God enters into our lives at our invitation; we do not fully understand the difference He will make in us. He justifies our purpose. Our heavenly Father helps us with the tasks to which He leads us. When I see the sunshine this time of year, I get excited. In 1996 when Hubby retired at the end of March, we spent the next month watching it rain. Those rainy days had not been in our plans. I enjoy seeing the sunshine and, although I have to be careful about being out in it, I do like feeling its rays warming my skin. They warm my skin as God warms my heart.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” We have to allow God to lead us or we will fail. David gives sage advice here. Listen for God—we cannot hear Him if we make noise. If we do not listen, we may do something against His will for us. We also must learn to wait for Him. When we do something without His leading, we mess things up. When we rush into a situation and take away a problem, we might not allow God to teach those in that circumstance what He knows is best for them. Did you catch the full meaning of this passage? We are to wait patiently. I have something I am waiting for the LORD to help me. I really need to wait patiently for His guidance.

“do not fret when men succeed in their ways,” We have times when we read about men doing evil. We hear about these events on TV newscasts. These can be very serious happenings. God tells us, through the shepherd king not to worry. We have to remember that God wins in the end. A friend of mine did not receive justice for her teenage daughter in a lawsuit. She also lost another legal case over an arrearage of alimony. Nevertheless, in both instances, she said, “We don’t always get justice here on earth.”

“when they carry out their wicked schemes.” We see many wicked, evil actions carried out in our world. However, David tells us not to worry about those events and those who carry them out. All we can do is pray for those whose jobs are to combat those who do these horrendous acts to innocent people. A friend of mine was saddened about the atrocities done to people in her grandparent’s homeland in Belgium. The world mourned with the people and the nations who have lost people in these different crises. We have a God who loves. God loves each of us.

"Point of Reference" from Fred Price

Counting the Cost and Bearing the Cross