Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Psalm 37:1–11, 39–40

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 themselves 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. (NRSV)

Reflection

This psalm has a great list of directives that, if practiced, lead to psychological and spiritual well-being and an assurance that God is present in our lives in a positive, protective, and calming way. They are really quite simple: trust God, do good things, live where you are, practice being faithful, be patient, don’t worry, and let go of your anger and revenge. But it reminds me of this wise statement: “The important things in life are simple, and the simple things are hard.”

To work at this, we are admonished not to focus on or be distracted by “the wicked.” Wicked is such a polarizing finger-pointing word that leads to dualistic thinking: “It’s them,” “if not for them,” “that’s certainly not me!” Consider whether wickedness may be a code word for our ego. Our ego is constantly engaged in comparisons that lead to judgments about ourselves and others. The psalmist tells us that’s what will interfere with living our life well and being in right relationship with the Divine.

Another clue in this psalm is the directive to “practice faithfulness.” Life is a process of learning to choose to be driven by our ego (wickedness) or righteousness (love), and we all have both. It is the ebb and flow of making these choices well and not so well that causes us to grow, mature, transform, and evolve, all of which can eventually allow us to flourish. It is important to exercise self-compassion around the tension and struggle of working with our ego.

“It is our mistakes that lead us to God. We come to divine union not by doing it right but by doing it wrong, as we all most surely do anyway.” — Richard Rohr

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your abiding and unconditional love toward us as we strive to live in right relationship with you, our neighbors, this beautiful planet, and ourselves. It is reassuring to know that in spite of us not always getting life right, you will always wrap us in your love. Amen.

Written by Tom Schemper, Director of Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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