Two in a row??

Hello again! I know I JUST wrote a blog. You're probably tired of my constant updates. I know this is very unusual. Two blogs in the same month is fairly uncommon, let alone two blogs DAYS in a row! So, if you didn't happen to read my last blog, go ahead and scroll down first, there's a couple updates in there you DON'T want to miss! When you're done that, onto the new blog!


I'm pretty sure Psalm 37 is my favourite Psalm of the Bible. It not only gives the promise of God's blessing, but reminds us quite clearly that God's mercy, while given and undeserved, should invoke in us desire to live a life for Him.

I wrote a blog about verse 4 last year sometime, specifically about how we often read verses like that one backwards.

It says: "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give the desires of your heart."
We read: "You'll get that stuff you want if you do some things for God first."

This isn't a conscious 'translation' of the passage. It is one often heard being yelled by prosperity preachers everywhere yet somehow happens to stick... Rather than the desires of our heart changing to match those of God's, you expect earthly blessings for 'doing your part'.

Related to this is taking texts out of context. This verse would look great on a fridge magnet, church sign or bookmark, but I almost guarantee that people who read it as a stand-alone verse will be thinking of earthly blessings as the reward. The only thing that comes close to earthly rewards in Psalm 37 is how the faithful are promised that "He will exalt you to inherit the land." (Land doesn't work itself. Sounds like more work than pure blessing to me...) Hardly the big-screen TV I was expecting. The reward that IS stated after verse for is that "He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." I'd take that over a TV.

Protection is something else that is continually promised. Protection and inheritance of the land. In fact, the old man (v 25) who wrote the Psalm tends to speak how less is better. "Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked".

The less you have
The more blessed you become.

Ever meal is transformed into a blessing. Every new day is something to praise God for. Each drop of water is a constant reminder of God's protection of those who take refuge in him.

Another apparent theme in this chapter (this one was what really hit home for me) is when the author talks of TIME.

Old man David reminds us repeatedly that God's actions might not be happening at this exact moment. But they will.

The Lord's actions against the wicked: "Like the grass the will soon wither", "A little while and the wicked will be no more", "they will vanish", "all sinners will be destroyed", and

"The LORD laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming."

Might not be happening just yet. But it's coming.

David also gives explicit commands. He tells us to be active in our faith, but also to be patient. Patient because the blessings God's promised

might not be happening just yet. But it's coming.

Patience in Psalm 37:

"Do not fret";
"Trust in the LORD and do good";
"Commit your way to the LORD";
"Trust in Him";
"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him";
"Do not fret";
"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath";
"Do not fret";
"Turn from evil and do good";
"Wait for the LORD and keep His way."

Be still. Be patient. Wait. Wait patiently. Wait for the LORD. Do not fret, fret, fret!

I think we're supposed to wait. And patiently...

What are you waiting for? I've been hoping for an answer or two myself. Some direction perhaps. I have some meetings coming up about my work here, then Julia and I will evaluate whether or not I will continue here in Nigeria for another year as I'd originally agreed to in July last year (about 4 months before Julia and I started dating...) There's a lot more factors in the equation than just that of our relationship, so Julia and I are praying that we will be able to weigh them out and that whatever conclusion is reached, it will be done in a God-pleasing manner.

This is something I've been slow to learn; that God doesn't necessarily have a solid, black-and-white, written-in-stone plan for me. There can be variations, I think. If I'm following the path I'm on in a God-pleasing way... then I'm on the right path.

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand."

This is a verse that has brought much comfort to someone assuming there was going to be a burning-bush moment where every detail of my future path was be laid out.

God's plan for Julia and I may not become obvious, but I'm comforted knowing that if the path we follow is followed in order to please God and not ourselves, then hopefully it will be a delight to God and He'll be holding our hands the entire way.

It is a great comfort. It promises me that whichever path is chosen - as long as it is done in delight of the LORD - God will make our steps firm.

No path will be easy. Two obvious scenarios are that I leave a country I've grown to love which is in desperate need of help, or I continue to be away from all my loved ones and miss all the opportunities I know are waiting for me in Canada.

During the next week or two, Julia and I will be spending a lot of time in prayer over this. I'm also asking for your prayers for us as well. I'm praying that we can come to a conclusion that will be pleasing to God, as well as the strength to carry on along the path. There will be moments of stumbling, I know, but God will be there.

This chapter of the Bible has been a great help to me in the last couple years, and I hope my ramblings on it have been thought provoking for others too.