Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Ps. 37:7-9
Faithful Father, you send your Word with Swiss timing, uncanny precision and eternal encouragement. Whenever I get busy working myself into a bit of vexation or agitation, you’re patiently present, preparing to settle and center me.
Whenever I’m feeling vulnerable or angry, you come to me in the Scriptures—bringing me back to gospel-sanity, time and time again. When I get anxious or antsy, you’ve already spoken about the matter in multiple places in the Bible. I praise you for the counsel and consolation of your Word.
Today, Father, I’m worked up over the apparent success of those who bring harm to others, and even get rewarded for their madness. Whether it’s the ongoing reach of terrorism, the evil exploits of trafficking; the gazillion-dollar-machine of pornography; the political posturing the last few weeks in Washington, or any of many other broken storylines in the world. How long, O Lord, before you send Jesus back to put all things right?
Your answer to me today in this Scripture is just what I need. You won’t give me a date, but as always, you do give me yourself. I hear you loud and clear, Father. You’re speaking stillness and fretless waiting to my frustrated heart. No good comes from my obsessing about evil and evil making. Nothing profitable results from my spending extra time fertilizing my anger and fueling my disgust.
A Day is coming when the knowledge of your glory will cover the entire earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14). The whole world is holy land, not just one small and important bit of real estate in the Middle East. The New Jerusalem is coming down from heaven, not a day early and not a day late.
Until that Day, I will seek to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of King Jesus. How I praise you that the very righteousness with which you have already robed me is the very righteousness with which you are going to fill the earth. You’ve already made me both your son and an heir of the new heaven and new earth! Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a salvation! So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ powerful and unrivaled name.
