DAY 61 - DWELL IN THE LAND
KEATON TUCKER, YA GROUPS TEAM LEAD
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3
Every once in a while I find myself reading the same passage of scripture over and over again. I have come to assume that when this happens, God is speaking to me and I just don’t quite understand yet; I know I am receiving something from him, it’s just not clear yet. Jesus often said things to his disciples and the scripture says, “they did not understand because this saying was concealed from them till a later time.” But then, like a veil being lifted, I see more clearly as God himself reveals things.
Beginning about 3 weeks ago, I felt drawn to Psalm 37 and I have been reading it every day wondering what God was trying to communicate to me. “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers. For they soon will fade like the grass and be no more. Trust in the Lord, and do good. Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness...Refrain from anger and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself, it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off.”
I love the contrast here between fretting and trusting, between getting angry and trusting God.
Right now, we are in a pivotal time in American History. You see evil in the midst of us and you might be wondering what you are to do to help. I hope you find this Psalm helpful as you contemplate what God is calling you to do during this time. As far as I can tell, there are a few steps you can take from this Psalm.
Don’t fret - Fretting leads to anger. “It tends only to evil.” There is a lot to fret about but fight it off. “Anger does not produce the righteousness of God”. James 1:20.
Trust in the Lord - You don’t need to take things into your own hands if you will. But you can trustingly participate in what the Lord is doing on earth. You will know if you are trusting if you are free of fret.
Do good - as much as it depends on you, do good to all people, especially to those who are afflicted, marginalized, and oppressed.
Dwell - Now is not the time to run away or to find a new place to make an impact. Do good where you are.
Befriend Faithfulness - stay faithful to God and his ways. Avoid reacting to different things because you think that is the way. God is faithful to show you what to do and what to say.
Remember my friends, God is present in everything happening on the earth. He mourns with those who are afflicted by evil, he strengthens those who are weak, He empowers people to make a change. God himself drives out evil and we can participate in it.
These issues we face are Kingdom of God issues. Let’s solve them in Kingdom ways, as God leads you. You can trust him to lead you well, I promise. He promises.