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Posts Tagged ‘Psalm 37’

Six (6) steps through difficulty – #6

Posted in Anger, Christ, tagged on February 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

angryThe last step for successfully enduring difficulty may be surprising.

“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” – Psalm 37:8

The word translated “anger” literally means “nostril”. Nostrils flare when a person gets really mad.

Why mention anger? One of the same reasons most marriages fail where there is a tragedy or handicapped/difficult child. Anger easily comes to the surface in times of stress.

It doesn’t have to be that way! Don’t manage anger, stop it by being alert, deciding it will never produces good results, and letting it go as a sacrifice to Jesus.

Prayer: “Father, let this struggle this time be different. Help me keep your word in front of me and to cease being angry. I let it go as a sacrifice to Christ. Amen!”

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Six (6) steps through difficulty – #4

Posted in Brother Lawrence, Christ, tagged on February 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

It is said there are three (3) stages in life: 1) Struggling; 2) Just coming out of struggle; 3) Just headed into struggle. There are, however, ways to mitigate the difficulties. Psalm 37 lists six (6).

Fourth on the list:

“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” – Psalm 37:5-6

This Hebrew word translated, “commit”, literally means to “roll” and the word, “way”, literally means “journey, path, road, habits”. We all develop “ways” and once set they are hard, sometimes impossible, to change; but they can be “rolled” onto Christ for him to change.

Nicholas Herman, better known as “Brother Lawrence”, lived in a french monastery during the 17th century. People would visit him to learn how to experience God and these conversations were captured in the little book, The Practice of the Presence of God. It tells how Brother Lawrence rolled his ways onto the Lord.

Facing a task he would pray, “Lord, I can not do this unless Thou enablest me”. He, then, would have the strength to accomplish the need. When he experienced some failure he would confess his fault openly and pray, “God, I shall never do otherwise, if You leave me to myself; ’tis you who must hinder my failling, and mend what is amiss.” After doing this he let it go.

Step #4: Roll your journey onto Christ. He can accomplish anything!”

— fritz
1. Step #1 – Fret not, 02/21/2013
2. Step #2 – Trust and do, 02/22/2013
3. Step #3 – Delight in the Lord, 02/23/2013

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Six (6) steps through difficulty – #3

Posted in Anguish, Assurance, Belief, Choice, Christ, tagged on February 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Augustine of Hippo

Augustine of Hippo

Difficulties put focus in the wrong place — how I feel, what I didn’t get, what they did to me, why God didn’t meet my expectations! The “I”, “My”, and “Me” focus gets nowhere peacefully.

Psalm 37 gives six(6) action steps to getting out of that swirl and moving on to something better. First on the list is letting go of the burn.1 The second act is deciding to trust God by getting up and doing the right thing.2. Third step:

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” — Psalm 37:4

This one comes with a lovely promise! Who is going to give me what I really want if I don’t? God.

Doing this means several things. It means relinquishing both the control and the result to God. It means putting focus on him and what he wants, and it means being pliable. The word translated here as “Delight” literally means to be soft, pliable, delicate.

What if my heart’s desires are selfish, vengeful, and ungodly? If we are pliable God can change that and mold our hearts to desire what is good.

The ancient philosopher, St. Augustine, living in the first century discovered this very thing and wrote the famous line, “Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.”

Step #3 – Let your heart be pliable in God’s hands.

— fritz
1. Step #1 – Fret not, 02/21/2013
2. Step #2 – Trust and do good, 02/22/2013

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