Psalm 37

During my devotion today, the words came to mind "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord..."  I couldn't get this scripture out of my mind...it just kept repeating over and over.  I was compelled to look it up, and as I began reading the entire chapter of Psalm 37, I realized why God wouldn’t let me get away from it.

The first part of this particular chapter gives us some very definitive instructions to live by.  I am a worrier...I tend to "fret."  I worry about my kids, my job, my future, relationships, other people's lives, finances...if it's a part of life; I find a way to worry.  I'm not a frantic person...I typically keep my calm to some degree, but I'm a thinker, a planner, a doer...so with that, worry just seems to come with the territory.  If I had a dime for every time someone has told me to stop worrying or stop fretting, the financial worries would certainly be over for the rest of my life!!  

The very first verse, the very first word, of this chapter begins with "Fret not..."  Hmmmm...ok, ok, ok...I get it!!  I'm not supposed to fret!!  The next part is what catches my attention the most, though.  The next four steps sound really simple...much harder to practice, but God has reminded me that if I would just do it...He'll take care of the rest!  Here's what I have to do:

1.       Trust in the Lord - He knows the end from the beginning; He knew me before I was even conceived in my mother's womb;

2.       Delight thyself in the Lord – He knows the desires of my heart, and He is faithful to finish the good work He has begun in me;

3.       Commit thy way to the Lord – placing my trust in Him is total commitment and surrender;

4.       Rest in the Lord – I can’t give up; I have to run the race that is set before me with patience and the ultimate prize in mind; I can’t look to my left or to my right and compare myself with others.

I was sharing this passage with a co-worker of mine in the privacy of her office this morning, and God began a deep work in me as we were talking about it.  He dropped this in my mind: the order (and we know God is about order) of the way he has laid out what we are to do is simply beyond amazing to me.  We have to first trust – without trust, there is no faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  Once we learn to fully trust and have faith, then we can delight in His word, His promises, His faithfulness to us.  Committing seems to be the most difficult, but I believe there’s a reason why it comes right before resting.  Committing takes an act of surrender; surrendering to something we cannot tangibly see or put our hands on. Once we do those three steps though…He promises REST – peace, quiet, tranquility.  We can rest in the comfort of knowing that He is working all things together for our good because we have placed our trust in Him.  

The rest of the chapter is insightful as well, but I fast forwarded to verse 23, which is what initially set me on this search.  “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”  I can’t compare myself and the events of my life to others. I know I’m a good person…I know what God has destined me to be.  It’s so easy, though, to get sidetracked by just LIFE in general.  When we get our eyes off of others, and off of our circumstances, we can then truly learn to delight in Him and His ways.  Although it may seem like the wicked is prospering, and for a moment they are (Psalm 73:3), but that is not the “good man” that David is referring to in this passage.  A good man is a Godly man – one who pays his debts, takes care of his family, puts the things of God above the things of this earth and keeps his focus on the right things.  He delights in the ways of the Lord…he seeks after the heart of God.  

What I’ve come to know, and experience on a daily basis, is that God really is my strength in the time of trouble.  When I follow His instructions, and I take the time every day to be mindful of His ways and keep His commandments, He is faithful and just to keep His promises to me.  I want to be the “good man” and delight in the ways of the Lord.  

**Father, your promises are so dependable...I don't have to doubt

your word...it is forever settled in Heaven.

Life comes at me from so many angles, and nothing

crosses my path that you don't already know about or haven't already

gone before me and paved the way.

Help me to learn your instructions...and not just learn them but 

truly settle them in my heart so that I may never forget them!

Help me to trust in  you, to commit everything in total surrender.

Help me to delight in your ways, and allow me to rest in  your promises

and the comfort of your loving arms.

Order my steps today and every day.  Allow everything

that I do and say bring you delight...in Jesus' name...Amen**