Your Future

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace. But the wicked will be destroyed; they have no future. The Lord saves the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him. Psalm 37: 37-40 NLT

What does your future look like?

The psalmist promises that a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.

Do you love peace?

I am not speaking just of absence of war. I am talking about personal peace. In your home. At work. Where you volunteer. At your child's or grandchildren's school. In your neighborhood. In your town.

Do you love peace in these places? How hard are you working for peace in all these areas?

Begin with yourself. Be at peace with where you are and who you are. Let the anger and perfection go. Hang out in God's castle and feel God's saving grace for your life. Just breathe and be at peace.

God, I am not at peace. I say I want world peace but my own home is a battlefield. My heart is primed for war. I just want to attack everything, beginning with myself. God, I ask for your peace and your protection. Let me allow you to lead me and fight my battles for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

Don't be impatient for God to act!

Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed. I myself have seen it happen – proud and evil people thriving like mighty trees. But when I looked again, they were gone! Though I searched for them, I could not find them! Psalm 37: 34-36 NLT

Have you ever been impatient for the Lord to act? What were you waiting for? How long did it take for God to act? Had you given up by that point?

I prayed to meet my birth mother for years. Then I discovered that she was most likely deceased. My next prayer was to meet her family. I prayed for 2 ½ years. I had almost given up when I was befriended by her brother on Facebook. I was impatient for the Lord to act. God had God's own timing and it was perfect: last year I got to meet my three half-sisters and their families. And I also got to officiate at my middle sister's wedding!

What have you been praying about for a long time? Are you tired of waiting? Don't give up! Travel steadily on his path, continuing your prayers. God is with you and will answer you in God's good time.

God, I lift up to you this prayer request: ________________________________. You know I am becoming impatient. But I will be traveling steadily on you path, waiting for your answer and knowing that it will be good. Wickedness will not overcome your answer. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

Fill your heart with God's law

The godly offer good counsel; they know what is right from wrong. They will fill their hearts with God's law, so they will never slip from his path. Those who are evil spy on the godly, waiting for an excuse to kill them. But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed or let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge. Psalm 37: 30-33 NLT

How do you fill your heart with God's law so that you never slip from God's path?

For me, it is about reading, absorbing and living out scripture. To fill your heart with God's law, you have to know what it says. For that reason, reading scripture is how you can learn about God's law. But what if you don't understand it or maybe just read to say you have read it? You need to absorb it. That means going to Bible classes, reading commentaries, talking with others about scripture, struggling with the hard parts, praying over it and just letting it sink in. Once you have done that, then you have to live it. How does scripture change you? How do you live out what you have read and struggled with? Would anyone know you have been filling your heart with God's law just by observing you? They should!

If you fill your heart with God's law, you will never slip from God's path.

God, thank you for your law and thank you for the path you have laid out for me. Help me to fill my heart with your law and never slip from your path. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

Turn from evil and do good

Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will perish. The godly will inherit the land and will live there forever. Psalm 37: 27-29 NLT

There is hope for those who turn from doing evil and turn to God.

The psalmist tells us that God loves justice. That means that God is just. God won't punish someone for past deeds when they have admitted their faults, asked for forgiveness and begun living godly lives. God forgives completely.

How unlike the rest of us! When we see someone doing bad things, we immediately judge them. And if they confess and ask for forgiveness? We have a really hard time accepting that forgiveness.

That is why I am glad that God is in control and not me or someone like me! There is hope for me, too, to be forgiven completely. God is just and forgiving. I am not.

God, thank you for being just and forgiving. Help me to confess my wrongdoings and live a changed life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

How generous are you?

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread. The godly always give generous loans to others and their children are a blessing. Psalm 37: 25-26 NLT

So, how generous are you? I don't mean how much money do you give away. I mean to ask: what kind of attitude goes with your giving? Do you expect something from your gift, whether from God or others? Do you think if you give a lot, God will turn and reward you? Or do you expect your church or other non-profit to make much of you, to do as you ask, to follow your own recommendations over those not so generous?

Generosity means giving with your hand open. You are not ready to grab the hand that takes the money. The money is freely given and the trust in the one to whom it is given is irreversible.

The psalmist looks at the godly and sees that they give generous loans. There is no expectation of a pay-back. They may not have much but their children will not starve and are actually faithful and godly themselves.

So, if you are unsure about how generous you are, perhaps you had better look at your children.

God, I have experienced your own generosity in various ways in my life. Most importantly, you gave your son freely for our sake, not expecting anything in return. For that we are truly and eternally grateful. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

Every detail

The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. Those blessed by the Lord will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will die. The steps of the godly are directed by their Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Thought they stumble they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37: 21-24 NLT

Let these words of assurance seep into your heart and mind today. Read these sentences slowly to yourself, taking a break after each one. Let them sink into you.

The godly give generously.

The godly will be blessed by the Lord.

The steps of the godly are directed by God.

God delights in every detail of their life.

Even if the godly stumble, they will not fall because God has them by the hand.

God, continue directing my steps and holding my be the hand. I want to be generous and blessed while you delight in every detail of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

What I really need

Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive a reward that lasts forever. They will survive through hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. But the wicked will perish. The Lord's enemies are like flowers in a field – they will disappear like smoke. Psalm 37: 18-20 NLT

Even in hard times, you will have more than enough.

What kind of hard times have you been through in your life? Did you have what you needed? Would you say that God provided for you?

The innocent, the righteous, will survive. In fact, they will be rewarded with something that lasts forever (not money or things).

What do you need right now from God? Lift up your prayers today and ask God for what you need.

God, what I really need right now is: __________________________________________________. I trust you to provide more than enough. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

May we be godly, not rich

It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and posses much. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. Psalm 37: 16-17 NLT

It is better to be a faithful follower of God than to be rich and own lots of stuff.

On the one hand, I would like my own child to learn this lesson. But on the other, I need to learn it first.

I can't tell you how many of my friends and relatives seem to have more than me. Better cars, nicer and newer clothes, fancier houses, and expensive vacations to exotic locales. And let's not even talk about the parents at my son's private school!

Scripture makes it plain that what is important is not what you own or how much money you have.

The important thing is to be godly, to be right with God. Instead of looking at possessions, I need to be looking at my prayer life. How rich is that right now? Am I reading God's word for my own benefit or others'? Am I trusting God or am I consumed with jealousy? Am I focused on worship or focused on comparing with others? Am I a godly person?

How about you?

God, may we be godly. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

The Lord just laughs

In a little while, the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. Those who are gentle and lowly will posses the land; they will live in prosperous security. The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgement coming. The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. But they will be stabbed through the heart with their own swords, and their bows will be broken. Psalm 37: 10-15 NLT

The Lord just laughs.

Is this a “I am completely power and have you totally in my mercy” kind of laugh? You know, a sort of godly “Bru ha ha ha!”

Or is it more a chuckle, an all-knowing smirk?

Perhaps it is a good laugh from the belly – a sort of God meets Santa Clause kind of laugh.

And what kind of God is it that laughs – in any of the above forms – when others are about to be judged and punished?

Wouldn't God be weeping instead? Perhaps this is like when people are really happy they cry. Maybe when God is really sad, God laughs.

I don't know.

All I do know is the reassurance that the good guys will win in the end. God, whether laughing or crying, will make it so.

God, we trust you for our future even when we feel surrounded by the enemy. For yours is the last laugh. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims

God will ...

Don't worry about the wicked. Don't envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like springtime flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him , and he will help you. He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop your anger! Turn away from your rage! Do not envy others – it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Psalm 37: 109 NLT

Rather than worry about others, focus on the following:

Trust in God.

Do good.

Take delight in God.

Commit everything you do to God.

Be still in God's presence.

Be patient for God to act.

Don't be angry when others take action against you.

Never envy others.

If you do these, then God will:

Keep you safe and prosperous.

Give you your heart's desires.

Help you.

Grant you true justice.

Give you possession of God's kingdom.

Lord, may I trust you, do good, take delight in you, commit all I do to you, be still and patient in your presence. Remove all envy and anger from my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims