<p>THE HOLY SPIRIT IN  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37">Psalms 37</span> admonishes us to beware of irritation in our religious lives:</p><p></p><p>"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity."</p><p></p><p>The word "fret" comes to us from the Anglo-Saxon and carries with it such a variety of meanings as bring a rather pained smile to our faces. Notice how they expose us and locate us behind our disguises. The primary meaning of the word is to eat, and from there it has been extended with rare honesty to cover most of the manifestations of an irritable disposition. "To eat away; to gnaw; to chafe; to gall; to vex; to worry; to agitate; to wear away"; so says Webster, and all who have felt the exhausting, corrosive effects of fretfulness know how accurately the description fits the facts.</p><p></p><p>Now, the grace of God in the human heart works to calm the agitation that normally accompanies life in such a world as ours. The Holy Spirit acts as a lubricant to reduce the friction to a minimum and to stop the fretting and chafing in their grosser phases. But for most of us the problem is not as simple as that.</p><p></p><p>Fretfulness may be trimmed down to the ground and its roots remain alive deep within the soul, there growing and extending themselves all unsuspected, sending up their old poisonous shoots under other names and other appearances.</p><p></p><p>It was not to the unregenerate that the words "Fret not" were spoken, but to God-fearing persons capable of understanding spiritual things. We Christians need to watch and pray lest we fall into this temptation and spoil our Christian testimony by an irritable spirit under the stress and strain of life.</p><p></p><p>It requires great care and a true knowledge of ourselves to distinguish a spiritual burden from religious irritation. We cannot close our minds to everything that is happening around us. We dare not rest at ease in Zion when the church is so desperately in need of spiritually sensitive men and women who can see her faults and try to call her back to the path of righteousness. The prophets and apostles of Bible times carried in their hearts such crushing burdens for God's wayward people that they could say, "Tears have been my meat day and night," and "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain. of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain daughter of my people!" These men were heavy with a true burden. What they felt was not vexation but acute concern for the honor of God and the souls of men.</p><p></p><p>By nature some persons fret easily. They have difficulty separating their personal antipathies from the burden of the Spirit. When they are grieved they can hardly say whether it is a pure and charitable thing or merely irritation set up by other Christians having opinions different from their own.</p><p></p><p>Of one thing we may be sure, we can never escape the external stimuli that cause vexation. The world is full of them and though we were to retreat to a cave and live the remainder of our days alone we still could not lose them. The rough floor of our cave would chafe us, the weather would irritate us and the very silence would cause us to fret.</p><p></p><p>Deliverance from a fretting spirit may be by blood and fire, by humility, self-abnegation and a patient carrying of the cross. There will always be "evildoers" and "workers of iniquity," and for the most part they will appear to succeed while the forces of righteousness will seem to fail. The wicked will always have the money and the talent and the publicity and the numbers, while the righteous will be few and poor and unknown. The prayerless Christian will surely misread the signs and fret against the circumstances. That is what the Spirit warns us against.</p><p></p><p>Let us look out calmly upon the world; or better yet, let us look down upon it from above where Christ is seated and we are seated in Him. Though the wicked spread himself like "a green bay tree" it is only for a moment. Soon he passes away and is not. "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble." This knowledge should cure the fretting spirit.</p>

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

Man - The Dwelling Place of God - The Cure for a Fretful Spirit

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="job+13:13-19">Job 13:13-19</span></span></p><p>We ended yesterday with the thought that the moments after we have been saved from slipping and sliding, but are left with our main problem still unresolved, are exceedingly critical. Why critical? Because, as we said, the desire to relieve the pain that is going on inside us can sometimes lead us to settle for answers that are less than the best. We feel better when we can make sense of the ways of God - even a little sense. When we are confronted by a spiritual problem that appears to have no immediate resolution and causes strong emotions to rage within us, there are, as far as I can see, just two options: either to live with the troublesome emotions, as Job did, and wait patiently for God to give a clear answer, in His time; or to replace the confusion with some form of understanding. The first option is often difficult, for it demands something which, especially when we are confused, we find hard to do - trust. The second is a lot easier, but potentially more dangerous, for unless we are careful, it can lead us into accepting solutions that are not solutions. The pressure to move confidently in the midst of ambiguity and uncertainty and come up with "clear" answers is a strong one. But we must be careful that we don't settle for an answer that, although it helps to reduce the level of confusion, is not a real solution. Better to stay with the pain of confusion and uncertainty than to grasp at answers that are not answers because they evade the real problem.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O Father, help me as I think through this issue. I sense there is something here that I need to learn, but I need Your love and wisdom and insight to support me as I learn it. Come close to me - particularly over these next few days. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+3:1-6">Proverbs 3:1-6</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37:5">Psalm 37:5</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+118:8">Psalm 118:8</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="isa+26:4">Isaiah 26:4</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What are we to do?</li><li>What are we not to do?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him " (v. 15, NKJ) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="job+21:11-16">Job 21:11-16</span></span></p><p>We come now to the heart of the issue with which the psalmist is struggling in  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73">Psalm 73</span>: "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:13-14">Psalm 73:13-14</span>). Permit me to paraphrase what I think he is saying: "Here I am, living a godly life, keeping my heart and hands clean, avoiding sin, meditating on the things of God and devoting myself to a life pleasing to God, yet despite this I am facing all kinds of troubles. What's the advantage in serving God if He doesn't protect me?" The problem, then, is not so much the prosperity of the wicked as the fact that he himself is passing through a period of great trial while they are getting off scot-free. We begin now to see the roots of the envy to which the psalmist referred earlier: "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (v. 3). Envy is born out of two things: ignorance and a wrong comparison. Take, first, a wrong comparison. "Almost all our problems," said Dr W.E. Sangster, "begin in a wrong comparison." How true this is. We compare our looks, our height, our income, our homes, our training and our abilities with those of others and soon we lose sight of our own individuality and specialness. To compare ourselves with Christ is a healthy spiritual discipline, but to indulge in comparison with those we think are more prosperous and fortunate than we are is the direct road to envy.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">O God, save me, I pray, from the habit of wrongly comparing myself with others. Help me to satisfy the impulse I have for making comparisons only in a way that will yield spiritual gain - by comparing myself only with You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37:1-40">Psalm 37:1-40</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+3:31">Proverbs 3:31</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+14:30">Proverbs 14:30</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What is envy?</li><li>What is the result of envy?</li></ul></div></div>

"Yet they say  'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?'  But their prosperity is not in their own hands " (vv. 14-16) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="heb+12:1-13">Hebrews 12:1-13</span></span></p><p>We ended yesterday by saying that some things in life, such as the desire to have money, can be legitimate concerns but they must be looked upon as desires and never become goals. Permit me to differentiate between the two. A goal is a purpose to which a person is unalterably committed and something for which he or she assumes unconditional responsibility. A desire is something wanted and which cannot be obtained without the co-operation of another human being. A desire must never become the motivating purpose behind our behaviour, for if it does, then it becomes a goal - and a goal that is likely to be blocked, causing negative emotions to arise. Remember the man we talked about yesterday? His goal, we said, was to make money. Once he changed his goal to pleasing the Lord and then saw his concern to make money as merely a desire, he found instant release. Keep in mind that what causes emotional problems to arise is invariably a blocked goal. Take another illustration that might help to mark the difference between goals and desires more clearly. Have you ever found yourself talking to another Christian who seems to have difficulty in applying what seems to you a simple biblical principle? You point out the need to do as God says, but your friend fails to see the truth that to you is as clear as daylight. If you get frustrated, the chances are that you are allowing a desire to become a goal. To want your friend to listen is a legitimate desire, but to get frustrated over it means you are determined to make him listen - and that becomes a goal.</p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Gracious Father, I come to You again to help me sort out this important issue of desires versus goals. I see that if I can resolve this problem, then a new chapter in my life is about to be written. Help me, dear Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37:1-11">Psalm 37:1-11</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+21:2">Psalm 21:2</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:25">Psalm 73:25</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+10:24">Proverbs 10:24</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What was the psalmist's desire?</li><li>What happens when we delight ourselves in the Lord?</li></ul></div></div>

"' who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame '" (v. 2) 

<p><span class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold">For Reading and Meditation:</span><br><span class="italic">     <span class="scriptRef" ref="mt+7:13-20">Matthew 7:13-20</span></span></p><p>Today we look at the special understanding the psalmist received when he came into the sanctuary of God: "Then I understood their final destiny"  (<span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+73:17">Psalm 73:17</span>). As soon as he considered the final destiny of the ungodly, everything dropped into focus for him. He had looked at the prosperity of the ungodly but he had not looked at their end - he had not taken in all the facts. What are the facts concerning the end of the ungodly? The passage we read today tells us: the broad road which the ungodly travel leads to destruction; the narrow road which the godly travel leads to life. It is as simple as that. Though this passage was not available to the psalmist, the truth underlying it was most certainly known to him. Listen to this from  <span class="scriptRef" ref="ps+37">Psalm 37</span>: "The transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off" (v. 38, NKJ). The writer of that psalm, King David, described the wicked spreading themselves like a green tree, but when the end came they vanished off the face of the earth and no one could find them. The trouble with us is that so often we dwell too much on the present and fail to consider the future. Do you look at the ungodly, many of whom seem to be having a marvellous time ignoring moral restrictions, and feel envious of them? Well consider their end. Give some thought to the ultimate outcome. The Bible describes it as "destruction". We ought never to forget that it is not how things are at present that is important; it's how they end that matters. </p><p class="center-it italic bold mlr40 mtb20">Father, whenever I am next tempted to compare my life and its circumstances with that of others who do not know You, help me to remind myself of the fact that it is the end that matters, not the beginning. In Jesus' Name. Amen.</p><div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="lu+12:15-21">Luke 12:15-21</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+12:15-16">Proverbs 12:15-16</span></li><li><span class="scriptRef" ref="pr+28:6">Proverbs 28:6</span></li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What did Jesus call the man in his parable?</li><li>What word keeps occurring in the parable?</li></ul></div></div>

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction " (v. 13) 

<p>We shall find it impossible to commit our way unto the Lord, unless it be a way that he approves. For it is only by faith that a man can commit his way unto the Lord; and if there be the least suspicion in the heart, that the way be not a good one, faith will refuse to have anything to do with it. As well might you expect Achan to bring his wedge of gold and Babylonish garment to Joshua and ask him to take care of them; or a deserter to inquire of his general the way to the enemy's camp. </p><p>Having found reason to believe that your chosen way is approved of heaven, let heaven have the entire direction of whatever relates to it. Having resolved to go to Rome to preach the gospel there, be content that God should bring you there in chains, as a culprit, and keep you there as a prisoner. </p><p>And this committing must be a continuous, not a single act. You are to trust ever in His wisdom, goodness, and power - not only in generals but in particulars. And however extraordinary may seem to be his guidance, however near to the precipice he may take you, you are not to snatch the reins out of his hand. ' Whatever is, is best," to him who, with an enlightened and genuine faith, has committed his way unto the Lord, and to him alone. </p><p>Are we really willing to have all our ways submitted to God for him to pronounce upon them? Are there not some of our ways which have become to us through long habit like a second nature, concerning which we have never really taken counsel of God? There is nothing about which a man needs to be more scrutinizing than about his oldest ways, his most confirmed habits and views. He is too apt to take for granted the divine approbation of them. </p><p>Why are some Christians so anxious and fearful, in view of some anticipated contingency? Evidently because they have not left the matter with him. They have taken it to him and brought it away with them. </p><p>It may seem a prodigious faith to regard God on his throne as studious of all that concerns us; but such faith is really no bolder than is the faith that God spared not his only begotten Son. </p><p>Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. </p>

A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.

Bowen's Daily Meditations

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." - Psalms 37:5. 

<p>My times are in Your hand. § He will choose our inheritance for us. § Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness … make Your way straight before my face.<br><br>Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. § In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. § Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.<br><br>The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. § As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. § Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. § [Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.</p>

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them . . . to search out a resting place for them. 

<p>Is anything too hard for the Lord? § Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. § Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. § [Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.<br><br>Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord.<br><br>It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. § The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.<br><br>I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.</p>

 I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause. 

<p>Who, in the days of His flesh, … offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. § [Continue] steadfastly in prayer. § Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication. § By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. § This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Delight yourself … in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.</p>

Evening Daily Light

 [Jesus] prayed the third time, saying the same words. 

<p><span class="bible-text "> <sup class="verse-num poetry-line">5 </sup><poetry>Commit your way to the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap>;<br/><indent>trust in him   and he will do this:</indent><br/></poetry> </span><span class="bible-text "> <sup class="verse-num poetry-line">6 </sup><poetry>He will make your righteous reward   shine like the dawn,  <br/><indent>your vindication like the noonday sun.</indent><span class="pb"></span></poetry> </span></p>

Commit your way to the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap>;<br/><indent>trust in him<cr>1</cr>  and he will do this:</indent><br/>

Psalm 37:5

He will make your righteous reward<cr>1</cr>  shine like the dawn,<cr>2</cr> <br/><indent>your vindication like the noonday sun.</indent><pb/>

Psalm 37:6

 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him   and he will do this:  6 He will make your righteous reward   shine like the dawn,   your vindication like the noonday sun. 

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

Psalm 37:5-6

<p><span class="bible-text "><poetry>Commit your way to the <smallCap>Lord</smallCap>;<br/><indent>trust in him   and he will do this:</indent><br/></poetry> </span><span class="bible-text "><poetry>He will make your righteous reward   shine like the dawn,  <br/><indent>your vindication like the noonday sun.</indent><span class="pb"></span></poetry> </span></p>

 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him   and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward   shine like the dawn,   your vindication like the noonday sun. 

Bible Verse of the Day

August 20, 2017

Psalm 37:5-6 NIV

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