An Old Remedy
W. Carl Ketcherside
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One of the biggest problems most of us face, I suspect, is dealing with the opposition of what Paul refers to as "wicked and unreasonable" men. It is still true that "all men have not the faith" and that one can be in "peril among false brethren." Much as we would like to have our associations always run smoothly we must face up to the fact that they will not, and this requires the adoption of a philosophy, or the development of an attitude, which will keep us from coming unglued when the tensions are great.
I have found an old prescription upon the shelf of the divine pharmacy which seems to me to be a genuine guarantee of one's mental and spiritual health when under attack, and it has worked wonders in my own case. The bottle bears the label "Elixir of Psalm 37," and a proper dosage of it taken when stress arises will help you conquer the inner strain and come through to calmer and brighter days. I would like to analyze the entire content, but time and space will not permit of such a complete diagnosis, so I will content myself with a cursory examination of the first few verses.
Verse 1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
The Hebrew word translated fret is charah, to blaze up or get hot. Verse 2 shows that evildoers are short-lived and if you can "keep your cool" you will outlast them. If you allow anger to inflame you, there is a danger that you will go down before they do, and that way you will leave the field to them. "Blowing your top" is a good indication that you are light-headed, and "flipping your lid" is an admission that there is a screw loose which should have been tightened before the pressure gauge popped off.
Envious is from qana, jealous, and it is possible that jealousy has killed more people than workers of iniquity. The "green-eyed demon" gnaws away at your insides and will literally eat holes in you. Your sleep will be ruined, your digestion upset and your disposition spoiled. A jealous person is one who is afflicted with poison envy. What I have said thus far relates to the negative aspect, and now I want to move to the four-fold positive recipe.
Verse 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Note that while those who jealously spend their time planning evil and revenge will be lopped off like weeds, those who simply plant their roots in the soil of faith will not only continue to live but are assured of being sustained. The process of trying to "get even" is the most costly in which one can engage. Vengeance belongs unto God and when we
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The word for fed is raah, shepherd. The thought is that God has his eye constantly upon us. He will guide us, lead us and feed us. A sheep does not have to turn aside to "bump off" a wolf while the shepherd is there. Verse 39 declares that God is the strength of the righteous in the time of trouble, and verse 40 says that he will help them, deliver them and save them, because they trust in him.
Verse 4. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart.
It is difficult for many of us to do this because we have been taught to be afraid of God. We think of him as stern, relentless, exacting and oppressive. It is only within the past few years that I have been really able to delight in him. I am no longer uptight or scared stiff like a motorist hauled before a police judge for an alleged infraction of the legal code.
God really wants to give us the things that will make us happy, but sometimes we are so miserable and depressed they would only make us sick. No mother is going to give a child ice cream if she knows it will upset his digestive apparatus. If we can really tune our hearts in on the divine wave length and be happy in the Lord we can receive the desires of our heart without reservation. I no longer fear what men do unto me and my joy knows no bounds except my own capacity for rejoicing.
Verse 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he will bring it to pass.
The word commit is a translation of galal, to roll over. The picture conveyed is that of one who has a load which is too heavy to carry, and which he is forced to push or roll along because he cannot shoulder it. The literal rendering would be "Roll thy way upon the Lord," that is, to let God shoulder your worry and care. "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you."
Our accomplishments are in the hands of God. We dare not make our plans as if he did not exist. We cannot say that we will go into such a city. We cannot say that we will live there during the next year. We cannot prophesy how much we will make. All we can do is to submit to the divine will and allow him to bring it to pass.
Verse 7. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself be cause of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
The word rest is a term which means to be silent, to sit relaxed without engaging in debate or controversy. Only one who is truly convinced that his cause is right can sit quietly without recrimination and wait for God to vindicate his cause in the ongoing history of the world. Many become loud and clamorous because of their inner insecurity. They must defend and propagate their cause while they live, knowing that once they are gone it will collapse.
When one is unreservedly convinced of the righteousness of his position, and is firmly sold on the idea that he is working together with God, he can afford to quietly state his case and leave the outcome to heaven. There need be no frantic attempt to solve every problem or to gain recognition. One can "go with grace and leave the driving to God!"
The secret of the fulfilling life is found in the words "in the Lord," or "unto the Lord." Trust in the Lord, delight in the Lord, commit your way unto the Lord, and rest in the Lord. This eliminates fretting and panic, and provides security even while others are laying plots against you. The life of trust is the happy life, the life of joyous freedom and holy abandon!