Tuesday, August 13, 2013

My paraphrase of Psalm 37:1-22: for responsive reading...

Psalm 37:1-22
Do not get upset when wicked people appear to succeed!
Do not envy the perverse, because they quickly dry up like grass and wither away like green vegetation.
Rather, trust in the Lord and continue to do what you know is right.
Live a life of integrity.
Delight in the Lord and He will delight in you.
He will grant you your heart’s desire.
Surrender your life to the Lord.
Rely on Him alone and He will act on your behalf.
He will vindicate you in broad daylight.
He will openly defend you for all to see.
Relax in Him and be patient.
Wait for Him with calm confidence.
Do not get bent out of shape because those who do bad things appear to be doing well.
Don’t get upset…don’t get your knickers in a twist.
Don’t be anxious.
That won’t get you anywhere.
Know that the bad guys lose in the end. 
But those who rely on the Lord will inherit the earth.
The wicked will be gone a lot sooner than you think.
While you are still looking, they will disappear.
But those who humbly trust in God will inherit the earth.
They will revel in His abundant peace.
While evil people plot and persecute the godly,
The great sovereign King of the universe scoffs at them because He knows their fragile future.
While evil people prepare their weaponry to destroy the oppressed and the needy, and to eliminate the godly,
They will succumb to their own devices and their machinations will be destroyed.
Even so, the meager possessions of the godly are of far greater value than all the riches of the wicked put together.
What they have lacks eternal value, but the Lord will always sustain His own.
The Lord is intimately aware of and intimately involved in the daily lives of His children
Their inheritance is permanent and safe in Him.
They will not be comfortless in times of struggle.
They will be satisfied in times of famine.
But wicked people will cease.
The Lord’s enemies will be like faded flowers burned in a fire…they will vanish like smoke blown away in the wind.
The Wicked borrow, but they do not repay.
On the other hand, the godly are known for their compassionate and generous giving.
Surely, those blessed of the Lord will inherit the earth.
But those who reject Him will be brushed aside.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.



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