The Joy of Glory

Psalm 37:5-9 
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Reflection
We live in a world full of injustice.

A world in which it seems like evil not only goes unpunished, but is seemingly rewarded. Those who cheat, lie, and oppress often seem to be the most successful at climbing the corporate ladder, while honest workers are demoted and laid off. Amazing couples are unable to conceive, while people who don’t make good parents and never wanted children seem to keep having them. The abusers and users of the world seem to get away with everything while victims are just left in their wake and forgotten.

We live in a world full of injustice.

This stirs up righteous anger in us. It kindles wrath. When we are wronged, we want to seek vengeance… we want to set things right and even the score… or at least we want to hold onto our anger in a never-ending grudge.

Yet… as the people of God we are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. Psalm 37 calls us to refrain from anger and forsake wrath! We are to be a cruciform community that reflects the very words of Jesus extended from the cross to his enemies, “Father forgive them!”

How? How is any of that possible?

The Psalmist sings the forth the answer… “Commit your way to the LORD;
TRUST in him, and HE WILL ACT.”

I don’t have to balance the scales, for God himself has promised to do so. I don’t have to take vengeance because vengeance is his! I don’t have to hold a grudge, but can forgive because I know that he will set all wrongs to right in the end!

I have the eternal perspective and promise that though it may look like evil is currently winning… in the end, “…the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”

The day will come when evil will be done. The day will come when God vindicates his people and his righteousness reigns.

Do we believe that promise as the people of promise? Through faith, trust in the promises of God, we are empowered to be the cruciform community he has called us to be. We can lay down our own “rights” because we know that, through Christ, God will make all things right.

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.