Be Still In The Presence Of The Lord

Life is a funny mixture. There are days when it's all sunshine and roses, and there are days when it is one frustration after the other. David, the man who wrote Psalm 37, knew all about that.

In this psalm he really speaks to himself as he reflects on the way things are going on around him. He finds it difficult to keep quiet when he really wanted to shout loudly about the apparent unfairness of life. Ungodly people prospered, rich people were callous, and evil seemed to go unchecked. And God tells him to 'calm down.'

"Don't worry about the wicked; don't envy those who do wrong (vs 1); Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! (vs 8) Be still in the presence of the Lord (vs 7)." No, if somebody said that to us in the middle of a time when we were battling against those who despise us for following Jesus or when we are fighting against temptations that are persistent and hard to deal with, perhaps being still is the last thing we want to hear.

Of course we must fight against temptation and must ask God's help and must live an active holy life striving against sin. But God tells us he is in all of life with us and when we submit to him we see that he will deal with all our worries better than we can. The psalm says that God sees that wicked people will be judged one day and he will take care of his own people. "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." (Vs 5)

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to be still in your presence, knowing that you love me as your child and you will take care of me day by day. Amen.