Issue 168
Have you noticed that following half an instruction can be very dangerous? Most of us give or receive advice as part of our work. For some of you, you earn your living by selling your expertise to others. Teachers attempt to impart knowledge and encourage wisdom. Consultants sell their time in order to stimulate learning. Informally, colleagues help others with all kinds of tasks, passing on a skill or a bit of experience.
It is in this environment of give and take that work proceeds. We work, with the help of others, all hoping in some way to achieve a measure of success. You may not want to change the whole world, but at the end of each day it is more satisfying to feel that in your world, in even a small way, you have managed to succeed.
As you progress on a path of honesty, it is very frustrating to be overtaken by others who use underhand methods and conspire with each other to succeed by cheating. They attempt to short-cut hard work, by-pass fairness and cut in on those who work well and honourably. Their whole aim is to ‘get rich quick’ on minimum effort.
David’s A-Z, again, gives an alternative route to the ranting, raving, table bashing or seething resentment which would be a normal reaction. His proposal is twofold: Firstly, to be still and patient; this makes sense. Don’t jump up and down waving your hands about in rage; be still, calm and measured. Don’t give in to impatient fury and resentment wanting everything to resolve now, but stay patient in the face of injustice. It sounds so wise, plausible and sensible, even if a little unnatural and not quite human.
It is, however, only half the advice and as such is extremely dangerous. His actual advice is to be still before the Lord; this is completely different. It is not just sitting in the lotus position trying to chant a mantra. It is a conscious, heightened awareness of the presence of God. Being still is more than telling oneself to stop being agitated, but coming before the Lord with your agitation.
The patience David advocates is that of waiting patiently for the Lord. It is not waiting for things to blow over, calm down or resolve themselves – it is for him. He may blow it over, calm it down or resolve it, but your patience is because of his timing, not for the sake of patience. Besides which, it is much cooler to be still and wait than to fret, as long as your stillness and patience are God-focussed.
Psalm 37
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
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 do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.
23 The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.
27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Hope in the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
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Work well
Geoff Shattock
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