Text: Psalms 37:1-7

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.   2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.   3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;  so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.   4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;  and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.   5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;  trust also in him;  and he shall bring it to pass.   6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.  7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:  fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 

Tuesday, 5^th March 2024

REST IN THE LORD

Text: Psalms 37:1-7

Memory verse: Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

David said, “Rest in the Lord” but what does this word rest mean? When we see this word “rest”, the first thing that comes to our mind is sleep. As a matter of fact, when all of us got up this morning the first thing we wanted to do was get back in the bed and get some more sleep. But this word rest in our passage is more significant. The Hebrew word for rest is damam (daw-man), meaning to cease thy self. Cease means to silence, to take away, or come to an end. When looking at the word rest even closer, we see that rest is used as a verb, a word of action. This indicates that there is an action that must take place in us and by us before God will act on our behalf.

Taking an even closer look, we can also see that the word “rest” works in 3 dimensions:

To be Silent, this means that you must cease yourself before God, release your control and let God take control, so that He can meet you in the mist of your fall. You cannot hear God speak, if you are trying to talk when He is talking. This is one of the reasons why we can't ever hear Him. That is why we must be silent. But I like the way that the Hebrew translation puts it to cease thy self. By ceasing, you are decreasing so that God can increase. It’s no longer your will but God’s perfect will. You can miss out on the answer He has for you if you are always talking and never listening.

To Submit- now the problem with us with being submissive is that we like to be in control, therefore, to relinquish our control is to be overruled. We want things to go the way we want them to go. When you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you submitted to His rule and to now deny that very rule is for you to go through the unnecessary problems of this life and remain fallen. Your submission is your spiritual and willing dedication to the Father to be under His rule, His protection, His law, His commandment, His blessing, His grace, and mercy (that we all need) and His love, this is His way.

To Trust- One thing about trust is that it is something that we give away too easily; especially to those who don’t deserve it. We put our trust in people who mean us no earthly good and we put our trust in things and possessions that will one day fail us and never live up to its guarantee.

CGDS Hymn 11; SS & S 811:

FEAR NOT GOD IS THY SHIELD

1. Fear not! God is thy shield,
And He thy great reward;
His might has won the field:
Thy strength is in the Lord!

            Refrain:
            Fear not! ‘tis God’s own voice
            That speaks to thee this word;
            Lift up your head: rejoice
            In Jesus Christ thy Lord.

2. Fear not! for God has heard
The cry of thy distress;
The water of His word
Thy fainting soul shall bless.

3. Fear not! be not dismayed!
He evermore will be
With thee, to give His aid,
And He will strengthen thee.

4. Fear not! ye little flock;
Your Shepherd soon will come,
Give water from the rock,
And bring you to His home!

   Prayers: 

1.  Lord Jesus, I take my rest in You always.

2.  LORD God Almighty, help me to always find rest in You, to be silent, to submit and to trust in You always, in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.