Real Living!
"Do not fret because of evil men 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. 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 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 37:1-7
Let's admit it -- we often wish things were more in our favor. Someone buys a box of junk for $1.00 at a garage sale. Among other items in the box they discover a rather pretty piece of porcelain. A few months later they show the piece to an appraiser and discover that the piece is extremely rare and worth $100,000. We think to ourselves: "I was at that garage sale -- why didn't I purchase that old box? Nothing good ever happens to me!" Snivel! Snivel!
Psalm 37 is a wake-up call for us to see things in the proper perspective -- eternity's perspective. The things of this world are destined to pass away and we need to recognize that there is only one way to salvation -- the blood of Jesus Christ.
There are many who are drawn to the new-age teachings of celebrities like Oprah, but that does not mean that these followers are prepared to meet the Lord. In Matthew 7:22-23 we are told: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "
I heard an illustration years ago about a little boy. (It reminds me of the way I was as a little boy). My problem as a little boy was that I could not stop talking. My mom said I sometimes drove her crazy. (I find that hard to believe since I am so quiet now. RIGHT!) Any way, back to the illustration. This young boy was running around and creating such havoc, that his mother made him stop and sit on a foot stool for five minutes. She pushed him down and he shot up. She pushed back down and he stood up again.
After about three times, she told him if he stood up again, she would paddle his backside so hard he wouldn't be able to sit down. He finally got the message and sat down with his arms folded. He looked up at her and said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!" Isn't that a picture of our own rebellious nature?
In Psalm 37 we are given nine admonitions: DON'T FRET; TRUST; DWELL; DELIGHT; COMMIT; TRUST; BE STILL; WAIT PATIENTLY and once again, DON'T FRET. This is the pattern that we should set for ourselves in order to find real peace and contentment.
I want us to consider the first three for today: DON'T FRET! The first of the nine is: "Don't fret!" It is at the beginning and the end of the list. Perhaps it is because it is so natural for us to fret. The essence of fret is to doubt the ability of God to take care of us. It can eat us alive and cause us to lose hope. The command is really quite simple -- Stop fretting! If you find yourself fretting -- stop!
TRUST! So how do we stop fretting? -- "Trust!" We do not trust in ourselves, but in the Lord. He is the One who is able to deliver us and to direct our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Are you trusting in the Lord? TRUST in the trustworthiness of the Lord, knowing that He is the one who is able to protect and lead us.
DWELL! God does not deliver His children to leave them in the wilderness. At the time of the Exodus, it was not God's plan for the people to wander in the desert for 40 years. They were intended to DWELL in the land of promise. So why didn't they? They placed their confidence in their own ability rather than in the Lord.
God wants us to dwell in His love, protection and guidance. He wants us to wake each day with the eager expectation of serving His kingdom. That means living constantly in Him and for Him. Are you ready to change your old address to the street of promise? He will help you move! Our joy comes from the Lord and so we spend time with Him and never have to feel alone. When others leave us, we have Him always beside us.
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
"Do not fret because of evil men 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. 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 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 37:1-7
Let's admit it -- we often wish things were more in our favor. Someone buys a box of junk for $1.00 at a garage sale. Among other items in the box they discover a rather pretty piece of porcelain. A few months later they show the piece to an appraiser and discover that the piece is extremely rare and worth $100,000. We think to ourselves: "I was at that garage sale -- why didn't I purchase that old box? Nothing good ever happens to me!" Snivel! Snivel!
Psalm 37 is a wake-up call for us to see things in the proper perspective -- eternity's perspective. The things of this world are destined to pass away and we need to recognize that there is only one way to salvation -- the blood of Jesus Christ.
There are many who are drawn to the new-age teachings of celebrities like Oprah, but that does not mean that these followers are prepared to meet the Lord. In Matthew 7:22-23 we are told: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "
I heard an illustration years ago about a little boy. (It reminds me of the way I was as a little boy). My problem as a little boy was that I could not stop talking. My mom said I sometimes drove her crazy. (I find that hard to believe since I am so quiet now. RIGHT!) Any way, back to the illustration. This young boy was running around and creating such havoc, that his mother made him stop and sit on a foot stool for five minutes. She pushed him down and he shot up. She pushed back down and he stood up again.
After about three times, she told him if he stood up again, she would paddle his backside so hard he wouldn't be able to sit down. He finally got the message and sat down with his arms folded. He looked up at her and said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!" Isn't that a picture of our own rebellious nature?
In Psalm 37 we are given nine admonitions: DON'T FRET; TRUST; DWELL; DELIGHT; COMMIT; TRUST; BE STILL; WAIT PATIENTLY and once again, DON'T FRET. This is the pattern that we should set for ourselves in order to find real peace and contentment.
I want us to consider the first three for today: DON'T FRET! The first of the nine is: "Don't fret!" It is at the beginning and the end of the list. Perhaps it is because it is so natural for us to fret. The essence of fret is to doubt the ability of God to take care of us. It can eat us alive and cause us to lose hope. The command is really quite simple -- Stop fretting! If you find yourself fretting -- stop!
TRUST! So how do we stop fretting? -- "Trust!" We do not trust in ourselves, but in the Lord. He is the One who is able to deliver us and to direct our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Are you trusting in the Lord? TRUST in the trustworthiness of the Lord, knowing that He is the one who is able to protect and lead us.
DWELL! God does not deliver His children to leave them in the wilderness. At the time of the Exodus, it was not God's plan for the people to wander in the desert for 40 years. They were intended to DWELL in the land of promise. So why didn't they? They placed their confidence in their own ability rather than in the Lord.
God wants us to dwell in His love, protection and guidance. He wants us to wake each day with the eager expectation of serving His kingdom. That means living constantly in Him and for Him. Are you ready to change your old address to the street of promise? He will help you move! Our joy comes from the Lord and so we spend time with Him and never have to feel alone. When others leave us, we have Him always beside us.
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
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