PSALM THIRTY SEVEN

STEPS TO JOY! 
 
   A good title for this psalm would be, "How to be happy for the rest
of your life." It is the third alphabetical psalm, but there are
irregularities and imperfections in its construction. The 16th letter
is omitted. One letter has three verses allocated to it and three
letters have one verse. It is a psalm which would be useful for the
instruction of the young, the feeble in faith, and the tempted. It was
probably written three years before David's death. It is a psalm of
Divine definitions. 
   There are five steps to Joy given, and the opening words introduce
us to the first step. 
   1. FRET NOT. In modern language, "Don't get up tight!" I once made a
very long journey from England into Europe, non stop, except for
necessary breaks, some 900 miles. I had tied some luggage on the car
rack with nylon cord. By the time I arrived at my destination the wind
had teased the cord ends into little balls of fluff. They had been
'fretted' away. Don't allow yourself to be fretted away in the journey
of life. The wicked are mown down as often as a lawnmower is used each
week in summer. Our God is still on the throne - FRET NOT! 
   The second step is a positive one. 
   2. TRUST IN THE LORD AND BE DOING GOOD! 
TRUST is the fact of faith. 'BE DOING! is the act of faith. Ever keep
in mind that you possess something which the wicked know nothing about
- FAITH IN GOD. It is more precious than anything else on earth, BUT it
must be a 'doing' faith. On our paper money the Bank promises to pay.
Without that promise, the currency would merely be paper. To prove your
faith you must use your faith. 
   Step number three is very positive. 
   3. "DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD!" Take your pleasure in God.
Realise how happy you can be in God. He will give you the 'petitions',
'askings', 'desires' of your heart. The askings of the heart are
difficult to define. The adult asks the child, "What will you do when
you grow up?" That is unanswerable. Some will never grow up. WE must
teach our children to be happy in God and He will give what their
hearts long for. 
   The fourth step to Joy is a very practical one. 
   4. "COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD!"  
   Literally, it could be translated - "Roll your works on Jehovah."
All your actions, enterprises, undertakings - let God be responsible
for them. If they become too heavy to lift, no matter, just ROLL them
on Him. If you commit it all to God and trust Him implicitly, He will
bring it to pass. What greater joy can be offered a poor pilgrim here
below, than to be assured that if he gives God the trust that is due to
Him, He will take all the responsibility of our goings from earth to
heaven, and we will Joy in God 
   The final step gets us right there into the fullness of Joy. 
   5. "REST IN THE LORD!" 
   The word the psalmist uses for rest is probably the one from which
the English derive their word 'dumb'. "Be dumb in God!" Be silent - be
still - hold still - wait - tarry - quiet yourself. There is a story
full of pathos in the Old Testament. On the occasion when Aaron's two
sons were destroyed because of their sins, the high priest, Aaron, held
his peace. There are times when it is unnecessary to speak. There are
times when it is essential to be dumb. It is said of the Lord Jesus,
that as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, He opened not His mouth.
At the time of greatest anguish and suffering there is the greatest
need to REST IN THE LORD. The joy of our Lord Jesus was set before Him.
For that joy, He endured the Cross. 
   In the presence of our God there is fullness of joy, and at His
right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 



Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved.



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