I like Psalm 37.
I just found this out yesterday. I was reading an article on Boundless.org talking about how many Christian single people write Psalm 37:4 on a sticky note on their bathroom mirror to memorize while overlooking many of the other good advice the whole chapter has to offer on living a good life. So I went off to take a look.
Ps 37:1-8
1 Do not fret because of evil men 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 Delight yourself 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 righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men 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.
(NIV)
And that's just the first eight verses. The rest of the psalm isn't quite as direct, but after summarizing it, this is a paraphrase of what I think the whole thing had to say about living well:
1.) Don't fret because of bad people doing bad things. (Even when presidents destroy car companies or someone thinks they're a hero for lying about you)
2.) Don't be envious of people who are doing the wrong thing, because their way of life is empty and meaningless. (Even when it looks fun)
3.) Trust in the Lord and do good. (Even to vengeful homeowners)
4.) Delight yourself in the Lord. (Isn't 'delight' an interesting word?)
5.) Commit your way to the Lord. (My decisions can't just be about what I want)
6.) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. (Yes, even when you expected to get married by twenty-one)
7.) Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath. (Don't get angry? What about when someone does something nasty to me? How 'bout then, huh?)
8.) Don't fret, because fretting will only lead to you doing what is wrong. (Panic mode, anyone?)
9.) Hope in the Lord. (Not the next paycheck...)
10.) Give generously. (Shovel-edging the beds isn't such a big deal after all. And about that box fan...)
11.) Observe and consider the way of life of those who are good and do what's right because you will be encouraged to live like them. (Does this mean that what you observe indicates what you're going to tend to live like? Maybe I should take a closer look at what movies I want to watch)
The article was right: anyone who just memorizes verse 4 misses out on a lot of really good advice.
I just found this out yesterday. I was reading an article on Boundless.org talking about how many Christian single people write Psalm 37:4 on a sticky note on their bathroom mirror to memorize while overlooking many of the other good advice the whole chapter has to offer on living a good life. So I went off to take a look.
Ps 37:1-8
1 Do not fret because of evil men 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 Delight yourself 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 righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men 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.
(NIV)
And that's just the first eight verses. The rest of the psalm isn't quite as direct, but after summarizing it, this is a paraphrase of what I think the whole thing had to say about living well:
1.) Don't fret because of bad people doing bad things. (Even when presidents destroy car companies or someone thinks they're a hero for lying about you)
2.) Don't be envious of people who are doing the wrong thing, because their way of life is empty and meaningless. (Even when it looks fun)
3.) Trust in the Lord and do good. (Even to vengeful homeowners)
4.) Delight yourself in the Lord. (Isn't 'delight' an interesting word?)
5.) Commit your way to the Lord. (My decisions can't just be about what I want)
6.) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. (Yes, even when you expected to get married by twenty-one)
7.) Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath. (Don't get angry? What about when someone does something nasty to me? How 'bout then, huh?)
8.) Don't fret, because fretting will only lead to you doing what is wrong. (Panic mode, anyone?)
9.) Hope in the Lord. (Not the next paycheck...)
10.) Give generously. (Shovel-edging the beds isn't such a big deal after all. And about that box fan...)
11.) Observe and consider the way of life of those who are good and do what's right because you will be encouraged to live like them. (Does this mean that what you observe indicates what you're going to tend to live like? Maybe I should take a closer look at what movies I want to watch)
The article was right: anyone who just memorizes verse 4 misses out on a lot of really good advice.
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