Psalm 37:1-3

Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

I have worn glasses since I was a little boy. Without them life is just a blurry jumble of images and makes little sense. I am so grateful for the skill of opticians over the years who have ensured that I can see clearly. In this psalm, David encourages us to see our lives from God’s clear perspective – not from our blurry, short-term human point of view but with the sharp clarity of eternity.

David was surrounded by people who were committed to making life difficult for him. In his early years he lived with the explosive and often violent temper of King Saul. And then as king he faced the challenge of not only a constant supply of military opponents but also many of his fellow countrymen who were eager to trip him up and overthrow him. It need be no surprise that so many of his psalms reflect on wickedness. This was no theoretical difficulty. He knew the names and addresses of many wicked people!

He concluded that, at the end of the day, you don’t need to worry about wicked people. Like grass and spring flowers they are here one moment and then gone the next! From a human perspective, they are massively significant and should be a matter of overwhelming concern. But when we see things from God’s point of view we see that what matters most are his blessings, which last for ever.

I still remember the first time I started to wear glasses. I was about seven years old. I couldn’t believe that they could make so much difference to my life. It is just the same when we start to share our lives with God in prayer and deliberately seek to see life from his perspective.

Question

How do your prayers change the way that you look at other people?

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the way in which you help me to see life. Help me to see with your eyes and to take increasing delight in you. Amen