“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” Psalms 37:3
“Trust in the Lord and do good” has been my mantra lately. Being in a long season of waiting, and uncertainty, and more waiting, and more uncertainty, God has brought this verse to mind again and again. 1) Trust in His sovereignty, His goodness, His plan; and 2) Do the “good” He has placed in front of me in this moment.
Being at home all the time lately and being completely alone during the day can bring things out in you. Natural tendencies, whether helpful or not, tend to make themselves known. I have a huge, inner-critic who puts intense pressure on myself. I find myself constantly thinking “I should be doing this!” or “I should have done X already!” etc. If I’m not constantly doing something, I feel guilty. This can be helpful in the “doing good” part of the above verse. God made me the way I am for a reason. It takes discipline to work from home. But, sometimes the pressure I put on myself is too much and it paralyzes me.
The rest of this verse, “..dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”, as this translation says really spoke to me today. God has me in a place of “safe pasture” right now as I’m self-quarantined, keeping myself from infecting others and myself. It is a season of “stillness” and being in one place. I should treasure this gift and “enjoy” it. Make the best of it. Work AND rest. Make time to do things I enjoy too. How much do we need this lesson?
Your natural tendencies may go in the opposite direction. If you are at home, perhaps you find it easier to rest during this time and need encouragement to “do good.” Some of you are working in direct patient care, or high risk areas, and “trust in the Lord and do good” may be the words you need to keep going right now. No matter where you find yourself, I hope you find encouragement in remembering both rest and work are important. Seasons shift and change. Sometimes we are called to spend more time “doing good” and other times we may have “forced” rest/stillness. At other times, we may feel more balanced. No matter where you find yourself, remember God is the God of both.
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