Coveting Blessing

April 7

(Psalm 37:1-9 NIV) “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; {2} for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. {3} Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. {4} Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. {5} Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: {6} He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. {7} Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. {8} Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. {9} For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

(Exodus 20:17 NIV) "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

What do you think of when you think of blessing? Do you think of receiving a gift from God, or do you think of having more than others? When you receive a blessing from God, do you look up in thanksgiving, or do you look around in envy? Is blessing qualitative or quantitative for you? Early in Psalm 37, God says, “Do not fret.” He says it three times. God says it because, no matter what He blesses us with, we have this carnal tendency to look around and compare. We live in a culture of envy. We don’t feel blessed unless we have as much as, or more than, everyone else. We think God owes us the same amount of blessing as those around us. So instead of focusing on the intent of God’s blessing, we focus on the content of our blessings in comparison to others. This is sin. God says, “Do not fret. Stop coveting. Don’t envy.” Be thankful for what you have today. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day