{Share your thoughts} How do we actually live Psalm 37 right NOW?

Right now we're all in a weird spot. COVID is a jerk and the world is going crazy.  So what are we to do?  What does Scripture have to say about this current situation?

Trust in the Lord,

and do good. 

Dwell in the land

and cultivate faithfulness. 

I'll go first, then you're next:

Trust in the Lord:  Trust is having confidence in God, living in security (not necessarily outward security), and having boldness because of the solid trust I have in His faithfulness.  He will never forsake or abandon me or those I love.  I am to live every moment in that trust. When I start to waver (for me that looks like fear, worry, or anger), I need to withdraw from whatever is making my mind spin out of control and remind myself of His power and love.  

and do good:  is to benefit, to be agreeable, pleasant, moral.  I should be a blessing to my family, even if that family is CONSTANTLY in my space breathing my same air, interrupting my plans, being smelly, or whatever else.  I should be a blessing to my neighborhood by helping with their needs (shopping, giving, assisting, and sharing the good news of Jesus with them).  Doing good to others comes from the deep trust in the Lord that I am growing in.

dwell in the land:  God has placed us here in this house, in this neighborhood, in this church, and in these jobs for a reason.  To dwell in this land is to remain, abide, to settle down.  To be thankful for our current home (however small and whatever repairs are needed), to invest locally in relationships with those around us (sharing produce by overplanting the garden, sharing and discussing books, and getting over my fear and talking about spiritual things).  To dwell is to make this city our home, this house our place to meet with God through discussion and prayer and speaking truth.  And to care for this land and our home physically through prayer walks, praying for our leaders (local and national) and doing the mundane things with excellence (laundry, dishes, decluttering, yard work).

and cultivate faithfulness:  to cultivate is to tend, feed, shepherd, to be a friend of.  I am to tend faithfulness.  Weeding the garden is cultivation, so is fertilizing, watering, and eating of its produce, and a healthy garden requires demands faithfulness.  There isn't a lot of leeway if you want a good harvest. The end goal of cultivation is not to have completed the process of cultivation (is it ever over?), but to have sustenance.  We cultivate our garden to have food to eat through the year.  We cultivate faithfulness not so we can mark that duty off, but to be sustained by faithfulness.  Which goes back to Trust in the Lord.  

How am I personally to cultivate faithfulness?  I need to tend to my time with God.  At this intense point in the summer, if I miss a day or two in the garden, things start to die, blossoms fall, weeds thrive and steal nutrients from the plants I want to grow.  And, at this intense point in the world, if I miss a day or two of meeting with God readjusting my vision to His, my trust starts to waver, doing good becomes too hard, I start dreaming of dwelling in other situations that seem easier, and weeds overtake and choke out the faithfulness I so desperately need to be sustained by.

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Now, give it feet, Kari.  Put it to work.

Trust that God is still in control.  Remind myself constantly He is holding all things up and working all things according to His plan.  And if there are things that tend to shake that trust, like reading the news every hour, stop it.  Once a day (or less!) is good enough, there is so much more I have to do around here anyway.

do good by blessing others. Die to self.  The best way to be a blessing is to be praying for others.  Make some phone calls to those I love. (Ugh! Phone calls are the worst, but texts just aren't the same for relationship building.)  Start doing prayer walks around our neighborhood and pray for each house. Say "Hi" if the opportunity arises.  Introduce myself.  Share garden produce and start conversations.  Watch for where God starts working and follow Him there.

dwell in the land by caring for the people and things God has blessed me with. Start praying for our leaders by name rather than complaining about them and encourage my boys to do the same.  Make my home a blessing by tending to it regularly.  Bless those in my home by having a plan for meals, sticking to a budget, and, honestly, at this stage in my boys' lives, shutting my mouth and praying more than talking and "helpful" teaching/lecturing.

cultivate faithfulness by growing good things in my heart by spending time in His word, watching over my heart by searching for and weeding out bad attitudes, lusts, laziness before they overtake my heart.  I need to talk with Him through prayer and Scripture more than I talk to others.  I must take bad, fearful, angry thoughts captive and lay them at His feet.  Over and over and over again so I can be sustained by faithfulness, not fear, anger, or worry.

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Ready?  Your turn.  I'd love to learn from you and be encouraged by how you are going to apply this verse practically to your life.  Share your thoughts in the comments below.