Third Sunday of Easter
Week of April 18, 2021
Scripture: Psalm 4
When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
(Psalm 4:4-5, NRSV)
Devotion
Do you hear what I hear when I read those verses? For me it is loud and clear: When you are disturbed, do not react in haste. Be quiet for a bit. Make room for God in your thinking. Be willing to be wrong, and be willing to be changed. And ultimately, when you do move forward, put your trust in God.
The alternate word in the footnote for this verse is angry.
When you are angry, do not sin;
Ponder it on your beds, and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
The word disturbed covers a lot of ground. So does the word angry. So there are a myriad of situations we find ourselves in where we are receiving this instruction:
Do not react in haste. Be quiet for a bit. Make room for God in your thinking. Be willing to be wrong, and be willing to be changed. And ultimately, when you do move forward, put your trust in God.
Words to live by. Words to help us in our decision process, in a time when decision fatigue is real and present and affecting our daily lives.
Thanks be to God.
Prayer
God, there is much that disturbs us in these days, and much that makes us angry. Please help us to pause and be in silence before we respond, and help us put our trust in you. Amen.
Lindy Thompson
Lyricist and Poet
Christ United Methodist Church
Franklin, TN
Photo: Albrecht Fietz / Pixabay