Psalm Meditation 762
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 25, 2015

Psalm 37 (selected verses)
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 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.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to kill those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
(NRSV)

It can be unnerving to meet someone who does not spend a lot of time and energy fretting over the lives of those around them. They carry a sense of contentment with them that has the potential of being contagious. As if they have a disease we distance ourselves from them. We don’t mind being around them, we simply don’t want to get close enough to catch that sense of ease with the world. It is so foreign to us that it is discomforting. To be honest we find ourselves fretting over their lack of fretting.

It is as if they have done something wrong, to be content with their lot in the presence of God. These folks spend more energy cultivating relationships with God and with the people around them than they do in competing for a larger piece of the pie. They live as if they have enough, no matter how much or how little it may be. I know folks who have, what to me is, lots of money. They don’t make a big deal of it. They don’t flaunt it or make me feel like a lesser person because I don’t have what they have. I also know folks who have more than I who are always grasping for more. They have relationships in order to open and close more deals. I am often made aware of my lack of money and stuff in their presence. I prefer the company of those who are content.

The psalmist lets us know that money and stuff don’t last as well or as long as relationships. All the resources will be disbursed to others at some point in the near future while the relationships continue in some form for generations. God invites us into relationships that lead to wholeness for us and others. Money and stuff are nice to have, however they are not the source of happiness or contentment. Happiness and contentment come as we build a solid foundation of loving relationships with a wide variety of folks in the presence of God

January 19, 2015
LCM