Author Richard Horne recently wrote a best-seller entitled, /101 Things
to Do Before You Die. /All in all, it is a good read from the
standpoint of reaching out and enjoying your life before it races to the
end such as learn to fly a plane, go on a demonstration, meet your idol,
milk a cow, swim with sharks, etc. He encourages journaling to measure
one's progress, and to record impressions of the experiences attempted
or made. Horne points out that the majority of people fritter their
lives away aimlessly, accomplishing very little that is worthwhile
outside of working and raising a family. Meanwhile, the experience of
life is neglected, to say nothing of working to make life meaningful.
I have to say I agree with Horne. While his book is not based on a
spiritual perspective necessarily, there are Biblical principles
contained in it, boiling them down to this one premise: Trust in the
Lord, and Do Good."
Psalm 37 is a beautiful passage which outlines what is essential and
what is not. In the passage given, there are not 101 things to do, but
only 5 which will bring about priority, focus, and calm in the course of
your day if they are acted upon. I will give them to you in the course
of the Scripture
1. The first is "Fret not" (v.1) Do not fret because of evil men or be
envious of those who do wrong." Worrying about people who do wrong,
that they are getting ahead of those who do the right thing are not
worth worrying about, because it is out of our control and God is the
author and giver of all justice. At the beginning of the day, we must
remind ourselves of this, because at the end of the day, the tables are
often turned.
2. Secondly, "Trust in the Lord and do good" (v.3) this is taken
together with verse 4: "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give
you the desires of your heart." Faith is incomplete without action.
Trusting in God does not just believing in Him, but doing something
meaningful as an expression of that trust. If you are trusting in the
Lord, do something (consistent with His nature and His will as found in
Scripture, of course).
3. Thirdly, Commit: (v. 5-6) "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in
him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the
dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." This goes
beyond doing, because many times our actions run into roadblocks and
obstacles sometimes put there by the devil. It takes persistence and
commitment ahead of time to get the job done, while trusting in the Lord
the whole time. When things are difficult, when study is harder than
what we first thought, when the job is more tedious than expected, when
the task is more arduous than anticipated- that is the time to think
back to what we have committed to, even if others are running away and
we are the only ones left.
4. Fourthly, be Still. (v.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." Again, a second admonition not to
fret with this counter command: to be still. "Freaking out" is not what
is called for here, and panic only incites more confusion. Worrying
will not put it right. But being still causes us to focus upon God and
what He desires to say to us in the midst of the problem that does not
make us happy.
5) Fifthly, Refrain from anger (v.8) When things don't go your way, or
a decision is made and you are not happy about it, hold back from saying
what you might regret. "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not
fret—it leads only to evil." I know that many people say, "I couldn't
help but get mad!" But turning from wrath is a deliberate, conscience
choice. We are not responsible for the actions of others, but we are
responsible for our reactions. When we flare in anger, we only make the
confusion and misunderstanding better, not worse.
I have given you five things to do. Apply them as Biblical principles
as you set about your day. At the end of it, do not be surprised that
as hard as you work, that God indeed delights to give you the desires of
your heart. What Five Things have you got to do today? Have a blessed
day!
Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Devotion for Today
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@embarqmail.com
jcrussell@liberty.edu
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