Early in my ministry as a pastor, I received an unusual request from a couple in the church to do a wedding ceremony for them. The reason it was unusual was that they were around 70 years old and I thought they were already married. Then they told me that they were wanting to renew their wedding vows to each other.
This couple had been married for 50 years and they wanted to renew and refresh their commitments to each other and to God in front of family and friends. It was the first time that I had been asked to do that, but it was exciting to see that you are never too old to renew what’s most important in your life.
In Ps. 37, the Psalmist gives us some key areas to consider concerning our commitments as Christians. They are areas that are essential to reminding ourselves about no matter what age or stage of life that we are in.
Let’s look at Ps. 37 together and see what we need to consider renewing in our attitude and actions as Christians:
- Renewing our commitments requires renewing our attitude. Renewing our attitude about how we approach life in the following areas:
- Stress Less v. 1 & 7 – When we hear the word fret, we usually think of becoming worried and frustrated. That emotion is definitely addressed throughout this Psalm, but it also carries the meaning of being angry or frustrated. Specifically about how others are doing better than you. The Psalmist is reminding us to not worry or become angry but to leave things in the Lord’s hands.
- Trust More v. 3 & 5 – We are reminded to lean on the Lord’s faithfulness to care for our needs and trust Him to take care of our every need, including our finances. We are to continue to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and not to take drastic measures. He will meet all our needs if we do what is right in His eyes.
- Surrender Completely v. 4 – The word delight in the original Hebrew means to make oneself pliable. The Psalmist is implying that we need to totally surrender everything to the Lord and make ourselves as clay in His hands. The more that we surrender to Him, the more blessings we receive and more delight comes to our lives.
- Rest Patiently v. 7 – The expression here is to take a pause in our actions and await further guidance and action from the Lord. It’s a reminder that we are not to take action without His leadership. Sometimes we just need to get refreshment and guidance from the Lord before we go further.
- Renewing our commitments requires renewing our actions as well. Renewing our actions in everyday life in these areas:
- Our Calendar v. 23 – Verse 23 reminds us that the Lord establishes the steps of our lives. If we are going to be committed to the Lord’s will, we have to follow His plan and let Him guide the planning of our schedule.
- Our Finances v. 7, 21, 25 – There are several verses in this Psalm that talks about a struggle and concern about finances and looking at others that seem to be prospering. Most people struggle with finances at some point in their lives and the more that we try to leave God out of our finances, the more we struggle. God does not leave us begging when we trust in Him.
- Our Careers v. 35-38 – The Lord has our future in His hands. The Lord promises to give us a future that will bring us peace. The more we delight in the Lord’s way, the more peace we find in what our careers and life will be.
- Our Families v. 25, 26 – The word descendants and future are mentioned several times in this Psalm. This is a reminder that we need to be committed to our families and their future as much as the Lord is for us. Today may be a day that there needs to be some renewed commitments to our family.
What has God spoken to you today that you need to Renew Your Commitments on from a scriptural point of view?
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