—Psalm 37:5–7;
Antiphon, Psalm 37:4—Those who trust in the Lord and in His promises may
sometimes be frustrated and tempted to question the goodness and righteousness
of God when they suffer trials, tribulations, and afflictions in this life.
David exhorts us here to ‘trust in the LORD . . . delight in the LORD . . . commit your way to
the LORD . . . be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.’ We
Christians should remind ourselves that the Lord has demonstrated His goodness
and righteousness in many ways, but especially by sending His only-begotten Son
to be our Savior. Through Christ, He has already ‘brought forth our righteousness and . . . justice.’ He has given us
‘the desires of our heart’ in the
person of our Savior, Jesus, and will, at the Last Day, deliver us out of this
vale of tears and take us to himself in heaven.
What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord
(Psalm 37:4)? “To delight myself in the Lord” means to exalt Him so highly that we
pursue Him over and above any other person, thing, thought, or action in our
lives, especially those things that would knock Him out of first place.
Taking delight in the Lord means that our hearts truly
find peace and fulfillment in Him, if we truly find satisfaction and worth in
Christ. Jesus reminds us, “But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of
life] will be given to you as well.” Mathew 6:33
Collect for
Psalm 37 – Lord Jesus, you bless the poor with the kingdom of heaven. Trust us to
put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom rather than to imitate the
powerful or envy the rich; so may we serve you now and forever.[1]
Almighty God, Your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Grant us courage to take up our cross daily and follow Him wherever He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever[2]
[1]
Collect for Psalm 37, For All the Saints A Prayer Book For and By the Church
Vol. II © American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[2]
Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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