Just Rest - Matthew Patten You Who rest In the shelter Of the Lord Who Love on Him Are always safe Verse No matter what danger Sickness or death May be around you It cannot touch you Bridge You'll know salvation and long life When you rest In the Lord Father, As we look at the apparent condition of the world, it is hard to see the truth in these verses. We cry out for vindication, now. We are your lovers, Lord. We know that those who oppose you do not come to a good end, but we need to see it, now. Bring righteousness and justice to your people, Oh God. It is so easy to be riled up, angry, twisted up in our emotions based on what we see, but help us to be quiet with You. Thank you that you bring to bad ends all those who oppose you, who work injustice on the earth. Thank you that we do not need to be caught up in all of that. Thank You that You are GOOD, and we can trust You, no matter what. Thank you that because we are with You, we are infinately better off than they are. In Jesus’ name, Amen Psalm 37:6-7 (TPT) He will appear as your righteousness, as sure as the dawning of a new day. He will manifest as your justice, as sure and strong as the noonday sun. Quiet your heart in his presence and wait patiently for Yahweh. And don’t think for a moment that the wicked, in their prosperity, are better off than you. This reminds me of Isaiah 61… I wonder which was written first. To continue the thought from last time, though, as we rest in Him, delighting in Him, He will bring vindication, He will show the world our righteousness, that we have been following Him the whole time. We do not need to trumpet ourselves. Most people need to be on show, then tell, not “let me share my dreams with you”. Do not brag about things that you cannot control. (as an aside) I have made that mistake too often, and most of the people I have shared with (other than my wife), have done very little other than taking dumps on my dreams. That wastes energy. I need to let God Do it. Rest in Him, let Him choose when to reveal me and that which He has put in me. We need to be quiet. Let people think whatever they will. Work behind the scenes without making a big deal over it. When things are ready, the world will know. Maybe I’m just talking to myself, but I doubt it. Be patient. Wait on God to fix the problem, to bring justice for you. Don’t fumble around and try to fix it yourself. Be calm. God is nearer than you think with that which you need. When we do let our flesh get out of control, we often create hurdles for God. If we choose to keep quiet and wait on Him, as we do that which is necessary in this world, we will see proof that we are actually better off than those who are aligned with hell. Do what you have to do, but rest in Him along the way. That means that we resist the urge to react to circumstance. Admit what emotions pop up, but release them rather than stewing and creating worse situations for ourselves by allowing those emotions the permission to run our lives. Rest. Be at peace. He has it all in hand.

Father, Help us. Help us to leave our lives in your hands rather than trying to make things happen. Forgive us when we usurp your authority and your rightful place in our lives. Help us to see and understand the difference between “good” things and “God” things, and only pursue the “God” things. Help me to get things straight again. Help me to do life your way, rather than just what I think I want in any given moment. Help me to delight in You, above all. Thank you for your faithfulness in bringing me thus far, in spite of some of my choices. In Jesus’ name, Amen Psalm 37:3-5 TPT Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God, and you will dwell in the land, feasting on his faithfulness. Find your delight and true pleasure in Yahweh, and he will give you what you desire the most. Give God the right to direct your life and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly! I have seasons where I know that I am as aligned as I can be, and others when I choose to assert my will more. This passage is all about aligning yourself with the Lord, trusting Him, and following His ways, as laid out in the Bible. This is not an invitation to religion. This is an invitation to dynamic, living, growing relationship, with the ultimate end of becoming one with Him. As we trust in Him, shown by our actions coming into alignment with what He prescibes for us. Doing what we can to care for our families, obey His Law, and care for others. When we focus on how He as always brought us through, how He has always met us in every need, we will begin to see that His faithfulness is our provision. Delight in Him. Worship, praise, adore, magnify Him above all circumstances, even when it looks like the world is circling the crapper. Even when your carefully laid up investments do not yield the desired or needed returns because of things outside of your control. Even when it looks like all of our freedom is being sucked out from under us. Even when families have been shredded by political differences or dismembered by medical tyranny. Even as it looks like the world is lurching toward another global war. Our job is to stay in alignment with Him. Stay focused on His faithfulness. Delight in Him, and see Him fulfill your needs and desires. Let Him make the decisions in your life, make Him Lord. As you trust Him enough to do that, you’ll be able to look back and be amazed at how He worked it out so well for you, such that you couldn’t imagine doing any better. Is this hard to do? You answer for yourself. I find it very challenging, though some times more than others, honestly. When I get tired and discouraged from what feels like a constant fight to stay in the right place and be aligned with Him, my flesh kicks in and tries to fly the plane. I get more snarky, cranky, and aloof with those who matter most. Then, after I realize what I did in trying to assert myself again, I course-correct and give the stick back to the Lord because I inevitably screw things up worse. It is hard. Simple, but hard. What does that course correction look like in my life? Getting back in the Word and Worship, choosing to pray (both actively and listening) more than I had been for the previous season. It looks like looking at myself in the mirror and honestly admitting where I’ve filled that space and time with other things rather than God, then stopping filling that time and space in ways that are less beneficial. It looks like facing the fact that I’d wandered off again, and turning around and calling out for my Abba once more. I am in that place again. Honestly, much of the last 2-3 months, I have been writing these on autopilot. Purely an intellectual exercise because I had committed to writing one every week. I apologize for that. I am recommitting to getting my head and heart back in proper alignment with Him.

Father, Prepare our hearts for the truth in these verses. Help us to be formed by it, rather than deforming the text to fit us. Help us to hold on without lashing out, even as things around us seem to be accellerating around the drain. Give us what we need for today so that we can respond appropriately to these things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen Psalm 37:8-10 (TPT) Stay away from anger and revenge. Keep envy far from you, for it only leads you into lies. For one day the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the land. Just a little while longer and the ungodly will vanish; you will look for them in vain. To continue the thought from two weeks ago now, complete vindication and proof of our righteousness is coming, soon and very soon. Whether you want to believe that White Hats are a thing or not, There has to be a point when we reach critical mass and [they] can no longer control us with [their] nonsense. Pray. Be still. Allow the Lord to work it in His way. If He tells you to get out there and do something, go do it. He will be alongside you, blunting the blows you will take. This text, though, tells us that [they] will go down without us seeking vengeance or anything of that sort. God has it in hand. He is actively bringing them down as we watch in real time. Yes, even as the darkness appears to get deeper and stronger, even as it looks as though the last of our freedoms are on the brink of going away forever. I was talking to someone last week who is struggling with this, they went through the Charlie Ward phase of the truth movement, and now they believe that Q is a psyop. It very well may be. But whose psyop is it, if it is one? That is not the point of this devotion, but I bring it up to highlight how I believe that if we learn listening prayer, and how to hold our perceptions of reality more lightly, and invest fewer emotions in them, we will be in a better place to respond appropriately to things. If we cut the emotional, knee-jerk reactions out of our lives, then we can wait in peace for those who have partnered with the Enemy to be taken out. We, as a general rule, need do very little directly to [them]. Our role is to be aligned with heaven through prayer. When these natural emotional reactions pop up, our job is to recognize them, but not to embody them. Recognize the fear, the anger, the pain, etc, that pops up in reaction to these external circumstances, but do not let them govern your actions toward or words about those situations. Give those to the Lord, allow Him to diffuse them and to heal the wounds caused by those situations. This is far easier said than done. This is where something like an examen comes in, in conjunction with listening prayer as we experimented with it last week. What is an examen, you ask? It is a Jesuit practice, developed by Ignatious of Loyola, who founded the Order. Let me lead you through an Examen, now, so that you can see what I am talking about. First, quiet yourself. Become aware of God’s presence with and in you in this moment. Second, think over your day (perhaps journal a bit, to get your thoughts more organized) with gratitude. Third, Note your emotions as you go through step 2. What might God be saying to you through those emotions? Fourth, Pick one thing in your day and focus on it in prayer, ask the Lord to highlight something to you from your day, some emotional aspect to it, and allow prayer, in whatever form, to come out spontaneously (do not judge it). Fifth, think about what you anticipate for tomorrow, challenges, joys, etc, be attentive to the emotions that come up as you are doing this step, and pray into them, asking for guidance, strength, or whatever seems important in that moment, as you are thinking about the day to come. At the end, just talk to the Lord. Wrap it up, but don’t rush. You just did your first examen (most likely). How was that? Could you see it being helpful in refocusing yourself on gratitude? Could this help in letting some of those emotioal reactions pass you by, so that you can more patiently wait to see the day when the wicked are no more? By all means, if you have been commissioned by the Lord to go and do something other than pray, stay in alignment with Him on that, and always check to see if what you are doing is what He intends you to do.

Father, As we choose to be shaped by your Word, I ask that you would help us to keep our noses clean. Help us to hear you laugh at the Enemy and his followers. Let us see their weapons be turned against them in their hands. Let their plotting and planning to destroy your innocent ones, your beloved children, blow up in their faces. May they never recover. Let there be repentance on their part, just as we repent for our part in making the world less heavenly. Help us to be humble and not gloat over their destruction, even though it would feel good to do so. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Psalm 37:12-5 (TPT) Let the wicked keep plotting against the godly with all their sneers and arrogant jeers. God laughs at the wicked and their plans, for he knows their day is coming! Evil ones take aim at the poor and helpless; they are ready to slaughter those who do right. But the Lord will turn all their weapons of wickedness back on themselves, piercing their pride-filled hearts until they are helpless. I don’t know about you, but I want, no, need, to see the wicked ones who have nearly destroyed the planet get their comeuppance. I am not talking about those who are at the bottom trying to survive in the systems created by [them], to be clear. I am talking about [them], [their] masters, and the evil spirits that animate their choices. Those entities that tell [them] that [they] are somehow better than we are. Those entities who encourage [them] to follow their worst impulses, destroying children, families, communities, and the environment itself. I am reminded of the NICE in the C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy, specifically in That Hideous Strength. The NICE was literally run by a demon talking to the leaders through the decapitated head of a murderer. Only the demon was called a “macrobe”, and in the Space Trilogy, they came from the moon, which they had made lifeless over the millennia. I need to hear the Father’s laughter, scornful, derisive laughter over these enemies. I know that I shouldn’t take joy in their destruction, but it is so hard not to. I see facades slipping and masks of alleged benevolence starting to melt off of the waxen faces of those who have given themselves over to the Enemy. The thing that we need to remember, more than even that [they] are coming to an end, is that the physical bodies of the people who have given [their] souls for power and influence are not our enemies. It is the Powers behind them that are. This is why we are not to execute vengeance for ourselves. God still loves them and wants to see them repent and come Home, but he knows how that will all go, and we cannot afford to get in the way of that.

Father, Show us the truth of this passage. Help us to trust you more than we trust in finances or any other similar thing that we would normally place faith in, whether a political system, financial investments, a job or career, or even interpersonal relationships. As we grow in trusting You, help us not be distracted by the storms around us. Help us to be at peace, in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen Psalm 37:16-8 (TPT) It is much better to have little combined with much of God than to have the fabulous wealth of the wicked and nothing else. For the Lord takes care of all his forgiven ones while the strength of evil men will surely slip away. Day by day the Lord watches the good deeds of the godly, and he prepares for them his forever-reward. The less is more reality offered in this passage flies in the face of conventional thinking and what we are taught about being ambitious. Choosing to be ok with less, as long as it is not less freedom that we are guaranteed in our constitution, can be liberating as well as being a great way to keep your nose clean, so to speak. What I haven’t talked about yet is that the balance is having “much of God” vs “nothing more”. Just being destitute or impoverished is not what God desires for us, but He does desire that we would depend on Him, or rather recognize our dependence on Him for each heartbeat and every breath. That is harder to do when we have more resources available to us, isn’t it? That is why Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich (self-satisfied, self-centered) person to enter the Kingdom. If we do not come unto God as children, recognizing our reality of being utterly dependent on Him for everything, then we will not experience having “much” of Him, whether we have “much” in the natural or not. Our place is that of humility. Humility is simply recognizing our actual place in the universe, as contingent beings. We are because He is. We exist to glorify Him. We exist to multiply His image on the Earth . He does not depend on us, we depend on Him. However, He loves us. He treasures each of us, knowing the number of hairs on each of our heads as well as catching every tear that we have ever cried. He knows you. He values you. Have you been forgiven? Are you in that category of people whom God cares for, or are you experiencing your strength slipping away? This is not so say that attacks do not occur for those who are righteous, as they certainly do, but do you sense God’s care in your life? You are one who will receive a forever-reward. We all have an image in our heads that may be a bit different from one another, but to me, that forever-reward sounds like the promise of heaven, a place where we will not be confronted with loss or lack or pain or injustice any longer. What comes to mind for you?

Father, As we look at this week’s passage, help us to rest in you. Help us to know that we will always have more than enough, no matter what, as long as we stay In Christ. Thank you that the wicked are momentary, but we, your faithful lovers, are forever. Thank you that you enable us to return more than we borrow. Thank you that the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen Psalm 37: 19-21 (TPT) Even in a time of disaster he will watch over them, and they will always have more than enough no matter what happens. All the enemies of God will perish. For the wicked have only a momentary value, a fading glory. Then one day they vanish! Here today, gone tomorrow. They break their promises, borrowing money but never paying it back. The good man returns what he owes with some extra besides. Even in times such as these, we can trust that the Lord has our back, we can trust that He will always make sure that He will provide more than enough for us, every time, no matter what. Rest in that truth. He provides more than enough, after all, you and I are here, now, not 6 feet under. No matter how much we choose to exalt the problems that we face over God in our lives (worrying or fearing the worst), we always land in a way that we can recover from. This is coming from a man who has been in the bread line, a man who grew up in soup kitchens, a man who has failed in business in the past, so badly that my family has lost a home. Yet, we have always had food on the table, never lost our car, and our boys have grown as they should. God has always provided for us, and usually more than we really needed, one way or another. In contrast, the enemies of God have no real staying power. They may succeed fabulously at foolish, oppressive ends for a time, but the wheels will fall off. They will not be remembered well in posterity, if at all. Those who borrow, but never intend to repay their debts... These are the enemies of God who will suddenly cease to be. They will be here today, but gone tomorrow. God will deal with them, don’t worry, just stay cozy. How does this apply to us? Think of the powers-that-have-been, are they truly succeeding, other than in momentary gains? We might be tempted to despair over the state of our nation, over the fact that [they] are appearing to win, and cheat openly, to not have any real repercussions for those treasonous actions they have taken in rigging and tampering with the election. Cry out for justice. Cry out in repentance for the ways in which we as Christians might have dropped the ball or anything like that. Sit in His presence and wait, allow Him to guide you. That will put you into the category with staying power, rather than here today, gone tomorrow.

Father, Thank You for being present with us. Thank You for promising that we will receive the land. Thank You that those who stand against You will be cut off from the land. Thank You for guiding and establishing our steps. I ask that You would reconfirm all the things that we have sensed You leading us into. Establish our steps, Oh God. Help us to delight in You, and for our lives to delight you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Psalm 37:22-4 TPT Yahweh’s blessed ones receive the land, but the cursed ones will be cut off with nothing to show for themselves. When Yahweh delights in how you live your life, he establishes your every step. If they stumble badly they will still survive, for the Lord lifts them up with his hands. When, oh Lord? When do we see these things? It seems like we are on the cusp, but You won’t give any of Your friends the details right now. As we take a look at this old promise today, it feels all the more poignant and needed than ever. All I can do is to encourage all of us, including myself, to keep believing. Hold on to these promises. Believe that we and our children will be the beneficiaries of these ancient promises. Appropriate them. Make them yours. I have to be honest here, as much as I want to blithely go along and act as though it is not hard to do what I am calling on us to do, I can’t. This season is hard. It needs to end, two years ago. Possibly more like 3, frankly. For those who have been more aware and awake for longer, I salute you. I don’t think I would’ve had the fortitude to stick with it as long as you have. How have you stuck with the truth and held onto hope for as long as you have? How are you not entirely “black pilled” so to speak? Ok, back to the text... God, do as you say here, establish our steps, we who are your delight. We who are the apple of your eye. I repent. I repent for being tempted to despair. I repent for trying to make things go and be my way, with my understanding. It is not enough. Thank you that you have always caused me to survive in the midst of my stumbles. I need your understanding, I need wisdom to make the choices that will lead to blessing for my family and this world. Thank you that you have lifted me, and are lifting me, even now. I leave the timing, as wonderful as it would be to have it all happen publicly tomorrow, and the method to you, Oh Lord. You know all. You have all wisdom. You know how to execute justice fully to bring the most of your image bearers into communion with you. Save us, Oh God. I forsake the pride that would insinuate otherwise, that I could know better than you.

Father, Thank you that you are always faithful. Thank you that you have always taken care of me. Help me to be one of those generous ones. Help my boys to be a blessing and to see that they are blessed, even if they don’t always get what they want. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Psalm 37:25-7 (TPT) I was once inexperienced, but now I’m old. Not once have I found a lover of God forsaken by him, nor have any of their children gone hungry. Instead, I’ve found the godly ones to be the generous ones who give freely to others. Their children are blessed and become a blessing. If you truly want to dwell forever in God’s presence, forsake evil and do what is right in his eyes. Has life always been easy? No. Sometimes life is a bitch on wheels. Have we always landed on our feet, so to speak? Yes. Do I consider myself and my wife “lovers of God”? Absolutely. The raw truth for us is that while times have been tight throughout our marriage, mostly due to my stubbornness, God has always made sure that we were relatively healthy, fed, clothed, and homed. He has blessed us, and many years we have had to look back and ask how we got through. The reality is that but for the grace of God, we wouldn’t have. What about you? Have you always had enough? Have you ever gone hungry while seeking after God? As we run full tilt into the height of consumerism, called “Christmas” or the “holiday season”, we need to keep things in perspective. It is so easy to get discouraged and whine that we can’t afford x, y, or z, whether for ourselves or our kids. What do we actually have? What is actually NEEDED? Anything? Bueller? Bueller? Do you NEED anything more this season? Likely, the answer is a “No”. Our focus needs to be on gratitude, not want. That, in and of itself, will improve your mindset and your wellbeing. Choose to be thankful for what you have, rather than whine about what you don’t or what you want or think that you “need” in order to feel better or what have you. Sure, that sentiment does not make the economy go round, as if everyone suddenly became ultra thankful for what they already have, advertising would become far less effective. If you want to be less manipulated by ads, then shift your mindset from discontent to gratitude. Maybe this is a hangover from Thanksgiving, but I don’t think so. If we learn to be satisfied in God, thankful for everything we are given, then consumerism will fall away. Yes, this feels counter-intuitive for a business owner to write, but this business owner is more concerned about your souls than his own pocketbook. Mindless consumerism may pad my pocket and allow me to jump into more of the same, but I want you to carefully consider your purchases this year. Be mindful. Be grateful for what you already have. Be aware of those blessings in your life, and even the ability to make purchases at all. Focus on the Lord this season, not on what the media and big business tell you that you need. Love on Him. Watch those benefits: peace, gratitude, joy, and others, begin to manifest in your life. Watch the anxiety, feelings of lack, feelings of entitlement and all the rest of the junk that the world sells us as part & parcel of the “holiday season” begin to fall away. Unplug from the TV, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ (why would you give those pedophiles money, anyway?), Paramount+, Youtube (without ad blockers), etc, and whatever else you may be bringing into your eye sockets and ear holes telling that you need to buy, buy, buy just to be happy. If you don’t know the Lord, and you want peace in this season and the rest of your life, pray this prayer: God, I need you. I surrender. I am tired of trying to make things work on my own. I am unfulfilled by the things the world tries to sell. Be my Lord. I have be full of pride, and hurt you, others, and myself in the process. I want Jesus to come and be with me, to lead me and help me. Teach me to be humble before you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If you just prayed that prayer, please reach out to me, either in the comments or in a DM on one of my social media platforms. I want to help you walk this new life out. For the rest of you, thanks for watching and subscribing to the channel. Here’s a preview of this week’s content: Distro Monday Salix 15 Live Memesplanation: Know Thyself from Isaac the Syrian Ubuntu Touch 24 OTA Freedom Consultation OrangePi OS Tech Tips Tuesday KDE 5.26.4 Memesplanation: St Paisos on Humility and Thankfulness LibreOffice 7.4.3 Released Free Your Internet Midori Making Comeback FOSS Fun Wednesday New Heroic Game Launcher Memesplanation: St John Chrysostom on memorizing Scripture WINE 7.22 Released Freed Computer NVIDIA Releases Latest GFX Driver I hope you were blessed today. Be blessed. Don’t forget, Let’s Go Brandon.

Father, Thank you that you will never leave us. Help us to walk justly and humbly before you. Help us to continue seeking you and see this promised inheritance sooner rather than later. We are desperate, Oh God. Things cannot continue as they have been, we look to you to solve these problems on our behalf, bring forth justice, your justice, on the earth, now. Help us to be the kind of counselors that are worth listening to. Give us the wisdom and insight to help people see the way out of their problems. Help us to solve our own problems as well. Give us the courage to walk in wisdom, now. In Jesus’ name, Amen Psalm 37:28-30 (TPT) The Lord loves it when he sees us walking in his justice. He will never desert his devoted lovers; they will be kept forever in his faithful care, but the descendants of the wicked will be banished. The faithful lovers of God will inherit the earth and enjoy every promise of God’s care, dwelling in peace forever. God-lovers make the best counselors. Their words possess wisdom and are right and trustworthy. What is God’s justice? Walking in ways that reflect Torah. Operating in love towards one another, rather than prideful insistence that each one of us is better than the rest. This is easier said than done, surely, but is certainly doable. The call here is to genuinely love and prefer others, rather than choosing the seemingly easier path of self-centeredness and self-gratification. The call is to forsake what the flesh would desire, other than self-care, as we cannot give what we do not possess. God will stay near to us as we closely follow Him and His ways. How do we show that we love Him? Loving our fellow image-bearers, choosing to serve them as though they were the Lord Himself. We pray to be intimate with Him, to hear His heart for us and those around us, to get wisdom, direction, and provision to do the things that He places before us to do. That could be as simple as being present with your family, or it could be much “bigger” in terms of scope. We will see the descendants of the wicked banished from the land. What does this mean, in this profoundly un-rooted age? Those who have been pulling the levers of power and have intentionally destroyed many millions of lives over the last 1000 years will cease to have any power, and their bloodlines may even be completely eliminated from the earth. This will all happen soon (or so I have to keep telling myself to stay sane and hopeful). If we are faithful lovers of God, He will insure that we will receive all of those things that the wicked have laid up for themselves and their progeny, and we will not have to attack these people at all. As lovers of God, with the wisdom that comes from that ongoing series of choices, we can become great counselors, as God’s wisdom is greater and higher than any human wisdom, so we can give answers and solutions that no one who is not of God can. What is Biblical wisdom? It begins with the humble fear of the Lord. This is not us cowering whenever we think of Him, or living in fear of the smiting that should be ours by right, but it is respect and honor. The fear of the Lord that we are talking about here is simply choosing to align ourselves with Him and His ways, honoring Him by loving one another, as Love fulfills the law. Humility, well, I’ve talked about that recently, but it is an accurate concept of who you are in relation to Him. You are His beloved child, if you have surrendered to Him and sworn allegiance to Jesus as your Lord. This gives us a certain swagger, but not pride. It is a confidence because you know that you are right with Him and are walking in His ways, but when you veer off course, you are correctable. That is humility. Put those things together, and you have a person who honors God and knows who they are in relation to Him because they are in relationship, living, dynamic give & take relationship with the Source of All things and All wisdom. This is the foundation of wisdom. Perhaps after I finish this series in Psalm 37, I will crack open Proverbs and start walking through wisdom and folly with you. What do you guys think about that?

What’s The Difference? Psalm 37:31-3 Father, As we look at this passage today, open our eyes. Most of us probably do not know this passage well, as it is not the section that most people are familiar with. Help us to be the Faithful Lovers the first part of this passage describes. Help us to be those whom you defend because we love you. Help us to stand undaunted because we have done nothing wrong, even when we are accused. Thank you that you are faithful even when we fail. Thank you that we can be at peace even when we stand wrongfully accused, when we are being spied on. In Jesus’ Name, Amen Psalm 37:31-3 (TPT) The ways of God are in their hearts and they won’t swerve from the paths of steadfast righteousness. Evil ones spy on the godly ones, stalking them to find something they could use to accuse them. They’re out for the kill! But God will foil all their plots. The godly will not stand condemned when brought to trial. How different are you? Do you stick out like a sore thumb? Do you shine like a star in the universe? Do people know to leave you a wide berth because you savage anyone within reach? Are you the “saint” and just love God and others with all that you are? Are you a Faithful Lover of God, or are you a wicked one who seeks to destroy faithful ones? In all likelihood, if you are watching this, you are probably the former more than the latter. We all have our moments, though, where we allow jealousy and similar negative patterns to overtake our more heavenly orientations, and we engage in mudslinging or slandering another human made in the image of God. Or, perhaps you are a wicked one, (yes, the binary is that strong that there really is no grey area, here) and perhaps you seek to curse me or others who are blessed by these weekly thoughts. I don’t know. But you do, and the Lord does. To be clear, I have not seen any blowback (yet) for one of my devotions or memesplanations. As far as I know, I have not faced anything more than the usual antics from the enemy due to my existing as I do. I am grateful for these realities, and I do not take them for granted. Are you one who holds the ways of God in your heart? Are you steadfast in righteousness? Then you are the kind of person that God desires to be near to, He will protect you from those evil ones who are jealous of your Light. Those who spy on you to try to find some obscure thing to nail you on, some small aspect of your walk that they think they can spin to the point where you will get into trouble. Like Potiphar’s wife, or Daniel’s coworkers, or Shadrach, and Abednego’s fellow officials, who did did all they could to first corrupt, then to destroy these biblical exemplars. They stayed faithful, keeping God’s ways in their hearts. They did not swerve from steadfast righteousness, even when it could have cost them their lives. Be encouraged, and stand fast. God will not allow your adversaries to wreck you in court in the end. They may win for a time, but ultimately, they will be shown to be the liars and shiesters that they are. Have you been one who envies others who are upright and do well in life, seeking for some skeleton in their closet, or pile of detrius swept under the rug, which might explain how they got where they are? Have you sought to destroy another, even in little ways? Have you seen God protect His faithful ones? Ever seen your best laid plans to bring down a righteous person blow up in your face? Perhaps it is time to rethink your life, and possibly join those whom you’ve ridiculed and sought to destroy. There is grace for you. Forgiveness, too. Repent. Change your mind, and allow God to change your heart away from that orientation toward destruction and toward one of blessing instead.

Abba, Be with us as we look at these last few verses of Psalm 37, help us to get to the Truth that you have for us today. Help us to see these verses as the encouragement that they are. Thank you that we can hide in You. Thank you that you are our strength. Thank you that our future is not determined by our past or present, but by Your promises. You promise us peace and prosperity. Where is it, oh, God? Where is it? Yes, I’m impatient to see the end of the wicked play out before my eyes here on earth. I trust that You will see it done on our behalf, but when? Amen Psalm 37: 37-40 (TPT) But you can tell who are the blameless and spiritually mature. What a different story with them! The godly ones will have a peaceful, prosperous future with a happy ending. Every evil sinner will be destroyed, obliterated. They’ll be utter failures with no future! But the Lord will be the Savior of all who love him. Even in their time of trouble, God will live in them as strength. Because of their faith in him, their daily portion will be a Father’s help and deliverance from evil. This is true for all who turn to hide themselves in him! Blameless and spiritually mature, eh? Just as a warning, I may be a little salty in this devotion. I guess I’m not as mature, nor as blameless as I need to be, then? I’m struggling, here. This passage, and even indeed most of the chapter, even as hopeful and reassuring as it is, feels like pouring baking soda into vinegar right now. I know that I shouldn’t be discouraged or despair, but I’m having a moment as I write this. There’s the unvarnished truth. I’m having a black moment, but it will pass. I know that the Lord will make it right, but it hurts to be reminded when it doesn’t look like there any real movement in that direction in the moment. It actually reminds me of a Proverb... “Like removing a coat on a cold day is one who sings songs to a heavy heart” (Proverbs 25:20) Forgive me for being a bit of a downer today. Ok, I think I’m through it. Back to the Word. The godly will have a peaceful and prosperous future. Cling to that as we go through the hell of the fallout of all the wind that the wicked in our world have sowed, yes, the whirlwind [storm] is nearly upon us. Allow it to do what it was designed to do, that is, cleanse the world. We who are the godly, who do our best to follow the Father’s ways will be able to stand again at the end of it all. The wicked, on the other hand, will be utterly destroyed. They will be utter failures, with no future. I couldn’t help but hear those lines in Trump’s voice, lol. Yes, for all of their plotting and scheming to take us down, for all of their planning to live forever, they will come to noting in the end, and will die and be forgotten. Is that what this whole chapter has been about? Waiting for the wicked to just die off? I like the more spiritual interpretation, as I see it as more encouraging rather than, just wait, you’ll outlive them and take back what they took from you before you die. God will be with us and help us through the storms of this life as long as we are faithful to him. That is the bottom line that I am seeing through this entire Psalm. That is the difference between the godly and the wicked: the godly are protected, even from the fury of the wicked, where the wicked enjoy no such protection. Even when it seems like they will never be ended, remember, they, too, will die, and no one can take their wealth or power with them into the great beyond.

Father, Help us to slow down. Help us to not live as though every little desire constitutes a hellfire emergency until we have it in our hands. Help us to live in the rhythm of heaven, not at the with the cadence of earth. Thank you that we will see the Wicked overthrown and forgotten, even in our lifetimes. I have been impatient with how you are doing things, I repent. I will continue crying out, lamenting every injustice, and praising for every small victory. Thank you that none of my emotional swings can interfere with your plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Psalm 37:34-36 (TPT) So don’t be impatient for Yahweh to act; keep moving forward steadily in his ways, and he will exalt you to possess the land. You’ll watch with your own eyes and see the wicked lose everything. I’ve already seen this happen. Once I saw a wicked and violent man overpower all who were around him, a domineering tyrant with his prideful and oppressive ways. Then he died and was forgotten. Now no one cares that he is gone forever. This is hard. We want, and sometimes feel like we NEED things to happen YEARS ago, but God has his ways. God has his plan. We can be sure that we will live to see the powers that be overthrown. God has said it many times in his Word, and that Word does not return without fulfilling the purpose for which it was uttered or written. Breathe. Trust Him. He never fails. Be steadfast in your choices to follow His ways. Take one step at a time, focused on that step, not one that you think might come down the road. Don’t rush Him. Stay faithful to each thing He places in your hands to do. Do it thoroughly, not in some kind of half-assed way. He will see to it that you receive your reward in this life. You will possess the land. Your dreams, as long as they were dreamed with God, will be fulfilled if you stay faithful rather than taking matters into your own hands. Let go of the trauma. Let go of the pain. Let go of the frustration. Let Him heal you and prepare you to receive what He has for you. The psalmist tells us that he has seen this happen in his own life, that this tyrant who beat everyone down, who was prideful and so domineering, died and was not remembered. He was not celebrated, nor was his memory cherished by those who survived him. He was as though he had never been. This is the fate of those who choose to run after power for power’s sake, who have no fear of God in their hearts. As I said earlier, our role in this is to be faithful to what God places in our hands to complete. If He assigns you the task of vengeance, take it one step at a time, and be thorough. If He tells you to do something else, do that other thing, but pray for the fulfillment of God’s plan in that situation. Cry out, lament, praise where needed, but never let the line go quiet, whether in active prayer or a more contemplative, listening mode.