April 6
PSALM 37
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one
who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
– Psalm 37:1-9
PSALM 37 BE STILL BEFORE GOD TO FLEE FROM ANGER
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Without the fear of the Lord, you’ll be prone to anger
The absence of God will make you unstable and anxious
The world is full of evil; guard your heart and flee from it
Do not envy evildoers and their comfort, riches and benefits
Be still before the Lord and commit your way to him
Trust in him and you will not be lured and be tempted to sin
Self-indulgence and self-centeredness lead to self-gratification
It leads you to all kinds of wrath, clamor and self-glorification.
King David points out the brevity of riches on earth because they are all fleeting and not everlasting. He describes that short-lived characteristic of physical wealth in verse 2 when he says that they fade like grass and withers like the green herb. We know how short their lifespan is. David emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord and delighting in his word. By doing so, we are befriending faithfulness. We become shielded from all forms of spiritual adultery such as idolatry and all forms of evil. In verse 5, he values the importance of bringing all plans to God. God-dependence keeps us from independence and self-sufficiency. We are protected from making wrong choices and doing what will lead to sin. He ensures we walk in the paths of righteousness and justice.
David uncovers the antidote to anger in verse 7 which is to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He also advises us to refrain from envy over others’ progress. We clearly see here that the main source of anger is not recognizing who is in control and not valuing what are eternal riches. James 3:14-4:4 concisely presents to us the origins of anger. He described bitter jealousy and selfish ambition as the sources of anger which are brought to us by demons. Warring passions inside each of us also lead to wants and lusts that become desires which we obsess to gratify, thus leading us to sin.
REFLECTION
· How are envy and jealousy the beginnings of anger according to the book of James?
