Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. (vs. 37)
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him. (vs. 39-4)
Is it hard for you to be a person of peace? All I have to do is get onto the 405 freeway to lose my religion. No one drives quite as well as I do, you see. Or crossing PCH to go to the beach....when that teenager with the red 1970 Mustang excuses himself from the red light and nearly barrels into us as we step our toes into the crosswalk. "Idiot! Are you an idiot?" Yes. I yelled that. Then there are the times I have gotten really mad. My son was privy to one of those meltdowns. It is probably why he became a policeman! The anger in that moment was justified, but unnecessary. When you are a little too willing to give someone else a piece of your mind you cannot afford to lose, they are usually just as unwilling to listen. Wasted my breath. No future in screaming at someone who just doesn't give a darn.
David is speaking of creating peace instead of strife. Not necessarily personal inner peace. The one who brings peace and reconciliation to a stormy circumstance brings a future to the relationship. I don't think God is looking for peace at any price. An abused wife trying just to make peace while continuing to be hurt. That is not what He means here. On the other hand, we should not be the ones who are always bringing a fight to the table. Hands up and ready to duke it out with our mates, our kids or our friends....or the drivers on the 405. There should be something so settled in us that it brings equilibrium. That does not mean that we just take whatever someone does to us, but it does mean that we understand our value on a much higher level. It seems to me that what makes people most upset is being misunderstood, misrepresented, patronized or lied to. These are the things that blow us up! How does one stay "righteous and blameless" when she feels accosted?
The Lord. That is how. Usually I don't really remember Him when I am popping off about something. If I were to take my emotional maelstrom to Him before I used my vocabulary or my fists, the outcome might approach something like peace. My vindication, because I am His, is in His court. So much wasted breath I could have saved if I had just let Abba fight my battles. I know. That means I run away in the fight. Go to the "strong tower" and hide. But my brain and my brawn have never been as powerful as my Father's. Not only is He smarter, He is bigger!
I'm not advocating stuffing it all down inside and acting like I have peace when I am wronged! That can make you sick. Don't go around harboring unforgiveness. That can kill you. The Lord is also big enough to hear all your anger! Go somewhere and blow off. Tell your Father how wronged you have been. Shake your fist! Stomp your feet! But do it inside the tower. Not on your own. The Lord gets mad with us when we have been wronged, so don't think it is unspiritual to rant about it with the appropriate one - God. It is your Father who delivers you and saves you...remember?
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him. (vs. 39-4)
Is it hard for you to be a person of peace? All I have to do is get onto the 405 freeway to lose my religion. No one drives quite as well as I do, you see. Or crossing PCH to go to the beach....when that teenager with the red 1970 Mustang excuses himself from the red light and nearly barrels into us as we step our toes into the crosswalk. "Idiot! Are you an idiot?" Yes. I yelled that. Then there are the times I have gotten really mad. My son was privy to one of those meltdowns. It is probably why he became a policeman! The anger in that moment was justified, but unnecessary. When you are a little too willing to give someone else a piece of your mind you cannot afford to lose, they are usually just as unwilling to listen. Wasted my breath. No future in screaming at someone who just doesn't give a darn.
David is speaking of creating peace instead of strife. Not necessarily personal inner peace. The one who brings peace and reconciliation to a stormy circumstance brings a future to the relationship. I don't think God is looking for peace at any price. An abused wife trying just to make peace while continuing to be hurt. That is not what He means here. On the other hand, we should not be the ones who are always bringing a fight to the table. Hands up and ready to duke it out with our mates, our kids or our friends....or the drivers on the 405. There should be something so settled in us that it brings equilibrium. That does not mean that we just take whatever someone does to us, but it does mean that we understand our value on a much higher level. It seems to me that what makes people most upset is being misunderstood, misrepresented, patronized or lied to. These are the things that blow us up! How does one stay "righteous and blameless" when she feels accosted?
The Lord. That is how. Usually I don't really remember Him when I am popping off about something. If I were to take my emotional maelstrom to Him before I used my vocabulary or my fists, the outcome might approach something like peace. My vindication, because I am His, is in His court. So much wasted breath I could have saved if I had just let Abba fight my battles. I know. That means I run away in the fight. Go to the "strong tower" and hide. But my brain and my brawn have never been as powerful as my Father's. Not only is He smarter, He is bigger!
I'm not advocating stuffing it all down inside and acting like I have peace when I am wronged! That can make you sick. Don't go around harboring unforgiveness. That can kill you. The Lord is also big enough to hear all your anger! Go somewhere and blow off. Tell your Father how wronged you have been. Shake your fist! Stomp your feet! But do it inside the tower. Not on your own. The Lord gets mad with us when we have been wronged, so don't think it is unspiritual to rant about it with the appropriate one - God. It is your Father who delivers you and saves you...remember?
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