Don’t Jump the Gun – Psalm 37:1-9

A text – Psalm 37:1-9

¹ Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be 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; live in the land and enjoy security.
⁴ Take delight 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 make your vindication shine like the light and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

⁷ Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.

⁸ Refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

A reflection:This psalm is attributed to David. I really appreciate it because in it David not only extols the virtue and faithfulness of his God but also prays for the thing we need most as people who believe and trust in David’s God – patience. David knows that the thing that will trip us up every time is falling prey to our desires for a quick fix, a speedy deliverance for us and punishment for the wicked. Look at verses 8 and 9 – “Refrain from anger and forsake wrath, do not fret – it leads only to evil. For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land” (or whatever is it that they need).

You and I are believers that the Lord is just and that we will be blessed as much as we need to be. In fact, waiting for the blessing we know will come is part of the journey and joy of the faith. But as we wait, we know we will be tempted to lose patience and jump the gun. That temptation to do it in our own time and our own desired way makes the Lord groan the way you or I would groan at a teenager trying to make something happen without thinking it all the way through. “Trust us,” we would say to that teenager. “This will all come out in the end – you just have to wait until Thursday…” or some such advice. But will the teenager wait?

Some things that happen to us are short-game things that do require immediate setting right. But so many of the things we grieve and pray “How long, O Lord, how long?” are long-game, systemic problems that seem to require nothing short of violence. But, as we have seen in the texts for this week, God has already given us what we need to do justice: singular talents and compassion for those beloved children of God being hurt every day. Being patient for God’s justice means keeping our relationship right with God, trusting God’s timeline, and acting on behalf of others in the meantime. This week let us lament the big picture, adore our Father in heaven, and then get to work on kindnesses to the forgotten ones nearby, even in our own backyard.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us this psalm of David to remind us to trust and adore you and NOT to fret angrily while we wait for your justice. Help us to find people we might serve while we wait for the right solution.  Amen.