Finger Food

Psalm 37

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself…” Psalm 37:1a

I love to cook, and I have been labeled a “sensory chef.” I rarely use recipes and instead, I resort to my understanding of complimentary cooking, when it comes to preparing food for my family. I attribute the success of my cooking by what it should visually look like, and more specifically, how it should taste. I know what my family likes, and more than any leading chef, or culinary expert, I know what is best for my familie's tastebuds and physical wellbeing. In this capacity, I am exercising my skills as a sensory chef.

This morning, as part of our Bible Reading Schedule, we read from Psalm 37. This particular Chapter is a “Teaching Psalm.” A sensory chef is a metaphor for a peaceful life. If we use our Spiritual Senses to guide us, then we have a recipe for peace in our day. No one-ingredient can turn out a successful meal – we need all the different components to make up the completed recipe.

Before I read God’s word each day, I bow my head and say this prayer; “Lord, thank you for your living Word. I now pray for wisdom as I read it, and the ability to apply your incredible resources throughout my life. Please remove the filters from my eyes that may divert me from your specific lessons, and help me to become more like you - and less like me. Amen”

After asking God to give me wisdom before I study His word, I have never come away clueless. Every day He does give me wisdom and understanding – I feel so loved by God!

And, after feeling somewhat perplexed in relation to some issues I face, I read Psalm 37 and found a recipe that I personally used to “overcome” my anxiety. These are helpful steps I can practice each day as part of my spiritual exercise program. I have called this;

“How to Have Peace in My Day”
1. Fret – I have a problem
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” Psalm 37:1
To fret is to worry, to have the heartburn, to fume, to become irritated, annoyed, or angry.
2. Trust – I believe God can answer my problem
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Psalm 37:3
Faith cures fretting. Sight is cross-eyed and views things only as they seem: faith has clearer optics to consider things as they really are, and consequently we have peace.
3. Delight – I believe God will answer my problem
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4
They, who love God with all their hearts, find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace.
4. Commit – I bring my problem to Him
“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5
We must never be led by our own wisdom, but obey God and He will finish His work in us.
5. Rest – I leave my problem with Him
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7

The literal meaning of the word rest is being silent towards the Lord. With the eye fixed on Him, let all unbelieving thoughts be stilled. And when we leave our problem with the Lord, we are to no more murmur or complain! Rest and wait are the twins in this particular verse.

Rest in the Lord; it is our choice to start each day with the What? Where? When? Why? How? - Or, to exercise our faith each day with peace, patience, and self possession.

The exercise

• Rest in the will of God for our lives, for whatever He wills is for our good, and our highest good.


• Rest in the love of God, and often meditate on the words of Jesus on this point, "Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me."


• Rest in the mercy of God


• Rest in the word of God


• Rest in the relationship that God gives to us as His children; he is the Father


• Rest in the Lord as he is manifested in Jesus, thy God in covenant.

This is another beautiful verse we can claim today; “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;” Isaiah 11:2

Charles Spurgeon wrote; “I have looked at this rest after rest as being a treasure concealed in a precious box. The Lord Jesus gives to his people a priceless casket, called the gift of rest; it is set with brilliants and inlaid with gems, and the substance thereof is of wrought gold; whosoever possesses it feels and knows that his warfare is accomplished and his sin is pardoned. After awhile the happy owner begins to examine his treasure. It is all his own, but he has not yet seen it all, for one day he detects a secret drawer, he touches a hidden spring, and lo! Before him lies a priceless Koh-i-noor surpassing all the rest. It had been given him it is certain, but he had not seen it at first, and therefore he finds it. Jesus Christ gives us in the gift of himself all the rest we can ever enjoy, even heaven's rest lies in him; but after we have received him we have to learn his value, and find out by the teaching of his Spirit the fullness of the rest which he bestows.” 8th January 1871

To you who are saved, you who have looked to Jesus Christ; whether you looked this morning or twenty years ago; have you found out all that there is in the gift which Christ has given you? Have you found out the secret drawer yet? He has given you rest, but have you found the innermost rest which he works in your hearts? It is yours, for it is included in the one gift; but it is not yours enjoyed, understood, and triumphed in as yet unless you have found it! The rest here, is meant as a rest after rest; a spiritual, experienced rest, which comes only to those who find it by experience.

The Recipe for “How to Have Peace in My Day” has a 100% success rate. I have never met anyone, whom after using all five ingredients, turned out anything but a victory - Peace In A Day!

I Love You,
Deborah