Reflections in Psalms – Day 7 – Commit

~Psalms 37:3-8

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Just like Psalm 1, this Psalm is believed to have been written by Solomon because of the way it is written like the verses in Proverbs.

~Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Israel used today’s Psalm for instruction, and rightfully so. It is filled with wonderful lessons for me on how to improve my walk with the Lord.

1. Verse 3 – “Trust in the Lord and do good.” I thought of Abraham when reading this. God called Abram to pack up everything and move his family to a place that he wasn’t familiar with. Abram trusted God to pave the way for him and to work out all the details. Furthermore, God provided for Abram’s needs and all those who went with him. The land they lived in prospered and so did all that Abram touched. But this all began with Abram trusting God. Do I trust Him with my life’s needs as well?
2. Verse 4 – “Delight thyself also in the LORD” How do I delight myself in the Lord? I cannot without first being a part of His family. After all, a total stranger cannot delight himself in my family because he does not know us. Therefore, if I am not a child of the King, how can I delight myself in Him? But as a child of the living God, I can delight myself in Him by reading His Word, talking to Him, sharing with Him every detail of my life, doing His will, etc. These all put together keep Him at the center of my life and He is a rewarder if I diligently seek Him.
   

   ~Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

3. Verse 5 – “Commit thy way unto the LORD;” When I am uncertain of what path I am to take, I must commit it to Him and let Him lead me. After all, He has seen the future and knows what is awaiting. How comforting this is to me. Resting in God’s care and knowing that whatever happens is His will is the best place to be when I am unsure.
4. Verse 7 – “Rest in the LORD,” There are times when I feel as though God is not working quick enough in a certain area. I see others moving forward but I am at a stand still. This is where the “rest” comes in! I noticed the second half of the verse says for me not to fret because of those who prosper. In due time, the Lord will work in my situation and to my benefit. Such rest is valuable when I am trying to defeat the devil’s attempts to discourage me or to cause me to worry.
5. Verse 8 – “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:” Some things in life are a temptation for me to be overcome with anger. I see where the sinner prospers and gets what he desires while I am pleading to God for help or reprieve and not seeing His hand at work. But it shouldn’t be my concern as to whether another person succeeds or not. My thoughts should be focused on what God’s will is for my life. Whether or not I agree with God, His will is always best for me. It is not for me to disagree and be angry with God, although I can share my frustrations and doubts with Him. There is no rest in anger for me. However, there is rest when I trust Him as Abram trusted Him.

I’m currently unemployed – a state I’ve not found myself in for many, many years. Knowing the financial demands that we have as a family, I was beginning to take that burden upon me and fretting. Praise the Lord for today’s Psalm!

I noticed there were five areas in life that I need to focus on so I can keep close to the Lord.  Five is the Bible number for God’s Grace!  Praise the Lord that I can delight myself in Him and He lifts me upon a high place spiritually! There is rest in Him because He holds me in His hand. I am under His wings and I am His child to protect. His grace is sufficient!  Therefore, as Abraham trusted, I will learn to trust in Him!