300. Monday after Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, in thy light
let us see light. Amen.
Psalm 37, 1-6. A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity: for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass: and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
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Heed these words. Do not envy others their good fortune, and do not fret yourself because of the happiness of evildoers; for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord; build on him with full confidence; let nothing induce you to leave this immovable rock. “Ye who fear the Lord, trust in the good unto eternal joy and mercy. Look to the generations of old: Who hath believed in the Lord, and been deceived? Who hath abided in the fear of the Lord, and been forsaken? or who hath called to him, and been despised of him?” Do good to them that vex you; then you have gained a victory over the devil, who wanted to shake your trust in God, and make you also a thorny bramble. — Dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Do not let your heart cling to any spot of earth, nor do you allow this to become a cause of unseemly strife; remember Abraham and Lot. But neither should you leave your paternal acres, merely because they require labor of you. Dwell with God, and enjoy his faithful care. Let this be your rule, not to be moving restlessly from place to place, unless the Lord clearly indicates it as his will; for it is a great comfort to know: Here God has placed me, and here I live on his bounty. — In the following verses the Holy Spirit points out how we may without fail secure to ourselves a life of happiness: Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. His will, your will; his love, your joy. “Where shall I find comfort in my sore need and distress? Shall I ever be happy and satisfied? Yes; all that is necessary is this, that you make your will conform to the will of Jesus.” Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. This is a glorious command and promise. Do like the child that is being taken through a dark room: Clasp the arms tightly around the Father’s neck, and feel safe. Commit your way, your all to the Lord. Let the troubles and difficulties of your life fall upon him; all the mountains of care weighing on your heart; commit all to the Lord, and he shall take everything on his shoulders, and carry you and all your burdens. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the noonday. It shall be made plain that he does not forget his own, when they walk in darkness. “Even here he shall justify them before the face of all men; but the promise shall be fulfilled in its entirety on that day, when the saints shall shine as the sun and as the stars of heaven for ever and ever.” Dear reader, obey now the words of the Psalmist, and be happy!
Help us, Lord, to trust in thee, and to find delight and rest in thy will. How blessed were we, could we but with childlike confidence commit ourselves to thee. Help us to do it, dear Lord God. Help us to commit our way unto thee, and to believe, nothing doubting, that thou shalt bring it to pass. Amen.*
What our Father does is well:
Shall the willful heart rebel,
If a blessing he withhold
In the field, or in the fold?
Is he not himself to be
All our store eternally?
What our Father does is well:
Though he sadden hill and dell,
Upward yet our praises rise
For the strength his word supplies.
He has called us sons of God:
Can we murmur at his rod?
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.