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Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil. For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight in abundant prosperity. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (Genesis 37: 1-11, 39-40)
This may well be a Tremendous Thursday for you, dear Friend! Any day spent in prayer and Biblical study results in tremendous blessings! And dear friends, as we pray, may we please pray for The Rev. Larry Altman, a retired UMC pastor and former DS with whom I had the pleasure of serving with on the cabinet. He is undergoing heart surgery at TexSan Hospital tomorrow. Please pray that all go well for our brother. Please also pray for Patty, his wife. Pray for one another, pray for yourselves.
Today's psalm is one that influenced Jesus. One of the powerful statements he made about the meek in His Sermon on the Mount is found in today's psalm. This is a psalm of strength and calm. It is a psalm that calls for focus; our focus should be on God during all our trials and worries, and not on other things or other persons. Focus will bring us delight in the Lord, and help bring us the solutions we seek to daily challenges and worries. Focus is another way of saying commitment. Focus on God keeps our hearts and minds away from fret, worry, and even anger. And even meekness comes as a result of our focus on the Lord. Meekness was defined as knowing when to get angry, and when to keep still; not being a doormat, as so many think of meek people. The true meek person is one who will get angry at the right time for the right reason. Focus brings patience, and patience brings peace. And these, when focused on God will bring us the rescue we need from Him.
Many of us keep a to-do list, but do you keep a worry list? We may not write it down, but it sure piles up in our brain and before we know it, we're just worrying about this and that, instead of focusing on God. That's the beauty of this devotional time for me. It comes usually after a morning run, yes, even in the cold, then after a time of reading two devotionals, then prayer on my prayer kneeler, during which time I ask God to give me clarity on the passage before us; then I sit and begin to type. Many of you have noticed that I usually just write from the heart, and then press send. Later, my darling wife, will lovingly say, "Did you notice that you said..." Oops, yes, I did. Or, some of you will reply with a tease about, Jesus being a traveling rabbit. Oops, Jesus was a traveling rabbi, but given that I may have typed rabbit more than rabbi, it's only natural. But that does not mean I lose focus on Him who is greater than I. (I love the little bumper sticker I've seen that have simply: HE>I). So, dear friend, focus on the love and strength that God gives. This will take care of all the rest.
PRAYER: Loving God, bless me today in my focus. May You be the focus I need before getting distracted by what may challenge me away from You. I seek to know You better and to claim that which Your word shares. Grant me focus, patience, trust and faithfulness in Thee; and the rest will fall into place. This is my prayer; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Focus, dear one!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER UPDATE: Greetings from Texarkana this morning. Nellie and I enjoyed our trip up this way, even in the super heavy afternoon traffic rush of Dallas! Please continue to pray for that which is before us as we gather as a called General Conference of The United Methodist Church. It will not be an easy time, but our prayers is that God will be glorified, not us. May the Lord bless you and keep you today and all days!
