Praying Psalm 37

The Sabbath isn't about

what's done

or left undone,

but about

breathing in

the goodness of God

MargaretFeinberg.com

I am praying through Psalm 37 as I prepare for tomorrow – 7 things to do in faith:

Psalm 37

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
 Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
 Do not fret—it only causes harm.

• V1  Fret not—I lay everything at the feet of Jesus. I have nothing to fear. I will not look at this situation from a human perspective. I set my eyes and heart on the Lord.

• V3  Trust—I believe God can answer my problem and bring redemptive grace - even to the most desperate of circumstances. I abandon all and look to Him.

• V4  Delight—I set my heart towards passion for the presence of God. My eyes are fixed on Him, and I enjoy His nearness.

• V5  Commit—I bring my problems to Him...knowing that He is able to do even more than I ask, and that He is perfect and without injustice.

• V7  Rest—I leave my problem with Him. Resting can only be accomplished when I have fully committed the problem to the Lord and fully trusted in His conclusion. I rest in His grace.

• V8  Cease/forsake—I turn in another direction. Whatever areas of this problem are caused  by my sin, I choose to turn and run into Him. I change directions and embrace holiness.

• V11  Inherit—I taste the fruit of the journey into Him. Even the darkest of sinners can repent and find full acceptance and grace. Eternal Sonship awaits. There is no sin too great for God's triumphant grace. There is no circumstance that can keep you from your inheritance and His magnificent favor.

Psalm 37:3-8

Sometimes we see evil and injustice flourish around us and are powerless to change anything. Here are eight things that will give you peace in your heart during difficult days:

• V3 Trust in the Lord - no matter what happens, keep your eyes on the Lord

• V3 Do good - don't grow weary of doing good (Gal. 6:9). Don't withdraw from people - keep being kind and helpful to others

• V3 Dwell in the land - this means to stay put and stick to the task the Lord has given you

• V3 Feed on His faithfulness - actively remind yourself of God's ways and His faithfulness - meditate on these things and "chew" on them in your heart

• V4 Delight yourself in the Lord - keep your heart focused on worshiping the Lord. Find out how delightful He really is. The Message Bible says: "Keep company with God"

• V5 Commit your way to the Lord - let God in on all your plans. Turn everything over to Him

• V7 Quietly rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to bring you through, and for His plans to come to pass

• V8 Cease from anger - do not fret - Don't let anger or worry take a hold of your heart


Psalm 37


³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.       
⁵ Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.         
⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.