Dealing with Anger

O. T. #1221  "Dealing with Anger"
June 12, 2018
Psalm 37-Part 5
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper-it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.  Psalm 37:8-9

LET IT GLOW

Hope you had a restful weekend while waiting upon the Lord. I enjoyed a short time with my husband's family as we went down to the river, which has diminished to a small creek. A few of us even waded in to it so as to cool off our feet as temps were in the 90's. Sometimes we need to step back and cool off, especially when anger has gripped our emotions. David learned this. What comes to my mind is the time Abigail's onery husband would not pay David's men for their service of protecting his sheep. David was so angry that he was on his way to attack the man when Abigail, his wife interceded with a meal, a big feast.

In verse 9, David says that those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth. When Christ returns to earth, believers will reign with him for a thousand years. It can't get any better for us, on earth that is. Why does waiting have to be so difficult? I suppose we have become conditioned to a hurry-up world, instant gratification.

LET IT GROW

Cease from anger. That is a hard one. How often do we loose our temper?

Matthew Henry gives us some good pointers on the subject:

• At the first little inkling of envy or discontentment rising up in us.(We need to nip it in the bud.)
• Don't harbor hard thoughts of God and His providence.
• Be not angry at anything God does, but forsake that wrath.
• Do not envy them (evildoers) their prosperity, lest thou be tempted to fall in with them and to take the same evil course that they take to enrich and advance themselves.
• A fretful discontented spirit lies open to many temptations; and those that indulge it are in danger of doing evil.

There are little things which I do (sometimes) when anger swells up in me-turn my head and count, sing a praise chorus to Jesus under my breath, walk away. How do you handle anger?

LET IT GO

Lord Jesus I need Your help cause I have a short fuse when it comes to not getting angry.
Be my defense.
Help to get a grip on envy, jealousy, hurt words, discontentment.

Rest of Mind

O. T. #1220  "Rest of Mind"
June 11, 2018
Psalm 37-Part 4
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.  Psalm 37:7

LET IT GLOW

Rest of mind. Who needs some today?
Have you been fretting not (stopped worrying), trusting in the Lord, delighting in Him, committing your way to Him? If you think those teachings are difficult to apply, hold on. David has more for us.
The fifth lesson that the psalmist teaches us is to rest in the Lord and wait patiently in Him.

Rest means to stop; hold peace; quiet self; be silent.

It is hard to stop doing things, much less stop thinking about things we need to be doing. do I hear an amen? to be silent? David did not know we women have to say our 30,000 words a day. I mean, we wake up talking (praying). Go to bed talking. To be silent before the Lord is quite a huge task.
Alright friends, the challenge is on-today, be silent before the Lord for 5 minutes. Set the timer if need be so we do not cut this task short. Anyone up to this challenge?


LET IT GROW

God has this. He is in control. Wait patiently for Him. Don't worry about it, either.

Simply wait for God to work it out to our good and His glory. Synchronize your life with His timetable, and learn this lesson well.  (Falwell)

Well, if we have rolled the problem onto Jesus, and we let Him handle it, then we are not worrying about it in our mind. Shall we watch and see how He works it out, then thank our glorious Savior, our compassionate Redeemer, our God who pours out lovingkindness.
Move worry out of that room in our mind and let peace come in to occupy it.

LET IT GO

Be silent before the Lord Jesus.
Wait upon the Lord.
Trust His grace to do what is best for me.

Commit by Rolling it Off

O. T. #1219 "Commit by Rolling it Off"
June 8, 2018
Psalm 37-Part 3
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgments as the noonday.  Psalm 37:5-6

LET IT GLOW 

I can't count the number of times I have looked for my ink pen on my desk that I use during my study time, only to find it has rolled off my desk onto the floor. It is a simple illustration for me, but I am to roll off my worries onto Jesus in the same way. The pen doesn't do anything as it sits there on the floor. So when I commit a specific worry to Jesus, then I am to do nothing about it. Allow Him do what He will with it.

Your relationship with God ought to bring you more joy, satisfaction, and pleasure than any other relationship, activity, or material possession you have. ( Blackaby)

What is David continuing to tell us to do?

• Commit our way unto the Lord. 
• Trust in Him. 

To have peace and understanding, we must cast ourselves and our lives unreservedly upon God, yield ourselves wholly to Him, and cultivate the habit of placing our lives in His hands. There can be no better medicine to dispel envy and fretting. (Falwell)


Commit means to roll; roll away, roll down, roll together; trust. 

We must roll it, whatever it is, off ourself and onto Jesus, as He pleases to handle it. Peter tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord for He cares for us. All is well that God does.

Are we entrusting everything in our lives, family, job, possessions, soul, to God's control and guidance?
Do we believe He can care for us better than we can?


LET IT GLOW 

God will bring it to pass. What is it? Whatever you are entrusting Him with.
God is going to make things right ultimately. Our righteous living will be brought to light.

Isn't God powerful enough to take care of our reputation?; to bring us out of difficulties with credit, comfort, and honor?

If we take care to keep a good conscience, we may leave it to God to take care of our good name. (Matthew Henry)


LET IT GO

                     ... of fretting and worrying.
                                ... and commit my way unto the Lord.
                                ... and trust in Jesus.
                                ... and place my life in His hands.

Delight of My Heart

O. T. #1218  "Delight of My Heart"
June 7, 2018
Psalm 37-Part 2
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Psalm 37:4

LET IT GLOW

This past week, I had joy and pleasure in being with my daughter and her family. I played games, read a book, talked with those six grandchildren. It brought me joy as we did things together, went places together, shared together. One morning in the heat, our son and son in law played football with the older guys and gals. I taught the two girls clapping in sync. We did the tourist thing, while traveling in the party van, a 12 passenger long van. Oh, the simple things of life. Sadly, it only lasted for a week, but the grandkids were the delight of my heart during that week.
Also, all 13 of us loaded up and worshiped together on Sunday morning. What a joy it was to fill a pew with the ones I love most. (I sit alone back home in our church.) Of course, grandma had to have a family picture made. The soft spot in my heart is held by God and family.
What delights you? Who holds a soft spot in your heart?

Delight means to be soft or pliable; delicate, in the Hebrew language.
In Webster's Dictionary, delight means joy; something that gives great pleasure; to give joy or satisfaction to.

I was not quite sure how to explain the Hebrew definition of delight, so I asked my pastor husband. He suggested that it referred to having a soft heart toward God. Now that made sense to me.
Do we have a soft heart toward God? Are we sensitive to what He is telling us today? Is our spirit calm and humble as we pray? Does what burdens Him, burdens us? Is His love pouring out to others?
Is He our joy? Do we take great pleasure in our time spent alone with Him? Does being with God give us great joy or satisfaction in this life?

Desires refers to request, petition.

When we find pleasure in the Lord God, we will then be rewarded with our innermost desires; we will have all that God intends for us to have. (Falwell)

Matthew Henry's Commentary says:

What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and live to God, to please Him  and to be pleased in Him.

Are we living to please God?


LET IT GROW

Okay, if those around you live wickedly and prosper, the psalmist gives lessons to teach us how to live in light of the wicked:

1. Fret not. Don't be concerned, for the righteous are in a better position than the wicked.
2. Trust in the Lord. The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord.
3. Delight in the Lord. If we make the Lord God the object of our affection, our meditation, and our activity, then we will find ourselves rejoicing in the Spirit.
4. Commit thy way unto the Lord.
5. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

In spite of living in a wicked world, we can be light and salt for Jesus. We can stand out and be different. Instead of being self-centered, we can be others-centered. While others may be discontent, we can be thankful and content.
Are we loving God with a soft heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength?

LET IT GO

Have a soft heart toward God.
Delight in Him; thank Him for what He does and gives; praise Him for who He is.
Trust God with my all, in all, and through it all.
Fret not for He is God and in control.

Fretting

O. T. #1217  "Fretting"
June 6, 2018
Psalm 37
Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Psalm 37:1

LET IT GLOW

Last week, my family toured the three homes of President John and wife Abigail Adams(second president). The first two houses were very primitive, built in the latter 1700's. The first one was his birthplace and a few yards away was where his son John Quincy, our sixth president, was born. The third house was decorated elaborately, with 20 rooms and a garden. It was their retirement home years later. While looking at the exquisite china and furniture, one might become jealous. Also, he had a collection of 15,000 books, which his son later placed in a library he built behind the house.

 Evil doers do prosper and succeed in their evil projects. That is the way it goes. When we start looking around at what others have, often we realize we  have not. Being displeased, then we want. If we can't have or get, then jealousy, envy, and discontentment set in.  Those may lead to anger. Isn't it all an illusion? Having everything by the world's standard is actually having nothing if they live apart from Jesus.

What does it mean to fret not? Fret means to glow or grow warm; to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy; be angry; be displeased.

David gives us a life lesson concerning the wicked who prosper around us, in verse 1-don't fret, don't be concerned or jealous. Why should we not be envious of them? Soon they will be cut down like grass and herbs, which do not live long. The judgment of God will cut the ungodly and unbelievers down.

A motto, of an unknown author says, "When you worry, you do not trust; when you trust, you do not worry.

Did you notice that this fretting was not about our own circumstances, but was focused on others' circumstances? Do we compare our situation to that of another? Are we grumbling and complaining to God about our have not's?

LET IT GROW
 
What is the cure for fretting? Faith is.
Regardless of our circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord and do good,. True faith produces good works. The Good Shepherd is always present to care for His sheep. Feed on this thought and you will fret not.  (Falwell)

Matthew Henry tells us to make God our hope in a way of duty. What is required of us? Trust in the Lord and do good, confide in God, conform to Him. It is not enough to trust Him, we must do good.

Trust and do. Trust and obey. The just live by faith. (Words easier said than done, huh?)

What is going on in your life right now? Are you needing to trust God for it to be worked out according to His will, in His time, in His way? He is trustworthy. Sometimes we need to be reminded of it. Actually, when looking at the big picture, we may not need more than we have.

LET IT GO

Focus on God, not what others have.
Be thankful for what I have.
Live by faith today.
Quit fretting.

Loving Kindness

O. T. #1216 "Loving Kindness"
June 4, 2018
Psalm 36
How excellent is Thy loving kindness, O God!  Psalm 36:7a

LET IT GLOW 

A mother bird has built a nest on top of my daughter's porch light. Her baby birds have hatched, peeking over the edge as they chirp for food. Her loving kindness is evident as mother bird flies in to feed them.
If we open our eyes around us, we can see ways that God shows us His loving kindness, too. David did as he wrote this psalm.

In verses 5-12, we read from David about the favor of God to His children:

• Put their trust under the shadow of God's wings,
• Shall be abundantly satisfied with fatness of His house,
• Drink from the river of Thy pleasures,
• Have a fountain of life,
• See light in God's light,
• Continue in His loving kindness,
• Have God's righteousness  

Just think of it, we are as safe as a chick under mamma hen's wings. As I shared before, we had hens, chicks, and eggs in our garage when I was a kid. The chicks were such cute little balls of fluff that you want to hold the peepers and pet them. Better not get close to her chicks cause she would come running ready to flog you with wings and spurs. I never experienced it because she scared me away.
God is our protector like the hen. We can be under His wings of protection. His grace gives us joy and abundant satisfaction.

The key is to trust God and come to Him in our hour of need.
Do we find His river of life so pleasant that we are like a fountain bubbling over?
Shall we continue in God's loving kindness?
What a place to be.

LET IT GROW 

Jump back up to the first four verses where is a description of the bad state of the wicked:

• They say,  "There is not God. " No fear of God is a serious condition, you would agree. 
• Self-flattery and self-destroyers is the result of their evil ways. The use of drugs has become so rampid in our nation, as children are affected in all ways of life. 
• They deceive themselves and others. Lies are told so often that it becomes a way of life. 
• Mischievous plans are devised and carried out. 

It shocks me when I hear of frequent mass shootings in our nation, especially on school campuses. This action is no answer to solving problems. Are their consciences severed over? Has hate, bitterness, and evil so dominantly their thoughts that evil rules them. There has become no respect of life. If only those found the loving kindness of God. 

LET IT GO. 

Remain under the shadow of God's wings. 

Find quenching of my soul in the Fountain of Life in Jesus.
Seek His loving kindness to share with others. 

Just Let It

O.  T. #1215  "Just Let It"
June 1, 2018
Psalm 35

LET IT GLOW

It is thought that David wrote this psalm during his early life as a fugitive from Saul in 1 Samuel 20-26.
Immediately David presents his case before a divine Judge. It sounds like his enemies have become more than David can handle. He is in desperate need for God's help. Isn't he being realistic? In order for God to protect His people, those who would harm them must be stopped. During David's day, how did God accomplish this? He used military force to bring victory. David was a warrior so he understood this. Still, do you think it was hard for David to understand why his own people, who were in Saul's military, sought unjustly to kill him? After all, David was to be Israel's next king.

David says, in verses 9 and 18, that he will be joyful in the Lord, rejoice in his salvation, and give thanks and praise to God in the congregation.

Skip down to the last two verses with me. In spite of all that was going on, David is saying, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and Thy praise all the day long.

The word magnified means excellent, promote, lift up.


Even through all the good and bad that David has been through, with the LORD, he promises to speak of God's righteousness and to praise Him all day long. Do you think David is accepting the good and bad that happens in his life? Job did.
Can we? Instead of becoming bitter, do we become humble?
We have an Advocate Jesus Christ who will plead our cause before our Judge God. Our greatest enemies are sin and Satan. At the cross, Jesus defeated them. Those who trust in Him as Savior will be delivered. Can we stay in the fight against them as we strive to live holy for God?

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

LET IT GROW

"Come on, Almighty God, get Your weapons together and stop those who persecute me," he seems to be praying.
As we read through this chapter, there are several phrases beginning with "Let, " which David uses concerning his enemies: Let them be...

• shamed and disgraced (verse 4),
• turned back and humiliated,
• blown away like chaff in the wind, which You send (verse 5),
• on a dark and slippery path, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them (verse 6)
• suddenly ruined, (verse 8)
• caught in a trap set for me,
• destroyed in a pit dug for me,
• ashamed and brought to confusion (verse 26),
• clothed with shame and dishonor.

When David's enemies are put to flight and silenced, his friends will come to shout for joy and be glad. (verse 27)
Let the LORD be magnified through it all. (verse 28)

Wow, I thought we were to pray for our enemies' repentance. David is really down here. We are to let God take revenge on those who have hurt us, not taking matters in our own hands. Sadly, I have seen the revenge of the Lord to be many times worst than I would have done. Sometimes we just have to let it be in God's hands, which is often very difficult, huh?

LET IT GO
                            and let God handle my enemies.
                                and magnify the Lord with praises.
                                and remain joyful.