Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 35-37; Acts 17
Devotional Thought:
Paul admonishes us that to compare ourselves among ourselves, this is not wise. In John 21, when Jesus tells Peter that he is going to die a martyr for the Christ, his immediate response is, “but what about John?” It is so natural for us to look around and wonder why do things happen to me that others don’t have happen to them, or we wonder why someone else gets all the breaks. Here in Psalm 37, God commands the believer to not fret over evildoers or be envious against workers of iniquity. Those who live as if God does not exist and yet seem to prosper in this life are living on borrowed time. Their end is destruction and their future is extremely pain filled. It is a foolish thing to sacrifice, that which is eternal on the altar of that which is temporary. Missionary Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.” We as Christians have a sure promise of eternal life and the peace, joy, and perfection that is promised in heaven. We are living now to lay up treasures in heaven, so why fret over the person who seems to have it all now and will suffer for all eternity? In contrast, the believer is to trust the Lord and do what is right. We must believe the Bible and believe that obedience to the wisdom of the Bible will produce eternal reward and benefit. We must delight ourselves in who God is and what He is doing that we actually have our desires transformed to match the desires that God would have for us. Then we commit ourselves to doing the will of God, according to the word of God by yielding to the Spirit of God. Then we can truly rest in the Lord. We tend to fret, worry, and get sinfully angry when things are not going as we designed them. How foolish for us to think that God is not in control working all things together for our good and His ultimate glory. The text ends this chapter by helping the upright man understand how God feels about the evil person who seeks to do them harm. “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” (vs. 12-13) The just man need not get his eyes on the wicked person seeking to do him harm. He must trust in the Lord with all His heart, delight in the Lord with all his heart, commit to obeying the Lord with all his heart, and enjoy resting in the Lord with all his heart. What a privilege to be a child of the King!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to always keep my eyes upon you. Help me to always look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of my faith. I desire to have my faith increased as I delight in your word, work, and will.
• Lord, please help me to be eternally minded. Help me to lay up treasures in heaven that can never be stolen or taken away. Please help me to allow this life to be what you designed it to be.
• Lord, thank you for taking care of me. I am so thankful that I can trust you to handle those who would seek to discourage, disparage, or destroy me. You are always in control.