Stay Focused!

November 4, 2025

Scripture

“Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade

like the grass and wither like the green herb.  Trust in the Lord and do good…”  Psalm 37:1-3a

Stay Focused!

Everything began to unravel one afternoon while he was taking a break out on the deck.  As his eyes caught sight of the beautiful young woman living next door, his mind began to obsess about the possibilities.  Sadly, he could not stop his obsession.

He had an affair, gave an order to have the woman’s husband killed, and constructed a masterful but devious cover-up.  She ended up pregnant while he ended up living a lie!  Prior to all of this, he was a well-respected and well-known leader as well as a lover of the Lord God. 

He marries the woman and they have a baby.  When the baby falls sick and dies, the grief and the loss as well as the shame and the regret all crash down on him with a crushing blow.  As he lies face down in the dirt weeping and praying and pleading with the Lord God, it is obvious this is one of the lowest points in his life.  He is devastated, defeated, and desperate!

Amazingly, he is able to eventually re-connect with the Lord God and re-engage as the leader of the nation.  Although there have been incredible highs and unbelievable lows, he continues to learn from the Lord God about life and love and leadership. 

Towards the end of his life, he is still praying, still singing, and still writing music.  He is still trusting the Lord, leading other people, and loving well.  Although he is an old man, there is still a new song in his heart. 

The old man is David, King of Israel in the nineth century B.C.  As he approaches the end of his life, David reflects on the things he has learned as well as on the amazing love and faithfulness of the Lord God.  Through his humble beginnings, his great successes, and his painful moral failures, David had learned important life-lessons.

David gathers a life-time of his most important insights and shares them in the form of a song; a song we know as Psalm 37.  In Psalm 37:25 (NRSV) David describes the perspective from which he is writing.  David writes; “I have been young, and now am old…”  His purpose in writing the Psalm is to share the insights and lessons he wished he had known and had applied when he was a young man!

My purpose in writing is much the same; to offer important life-lessons and spiritual truths to those who are younger with the hope of propelling them more consistently towards God’s dream for their lives.

Psalm 37 focuses on the lessons David learned about living an authentic life, achieving real success, and engaging in God honoring leadership as well as responding to the challenges of sustaining faith, hope, and love.  David focuses upon the promises of God as well as his response to the amazing grace and indescribable greatness of the Lord God. 

David learns that staying focused on the things the Holy Spirit has and is still teaching us will create opportunities for us to live a life of wholeness and holiness.  In the opening line of Psalm 37:1-2 (NRSV), David lays the foundation for all the lessons he has learned in life. 

David writes; “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” 

David says focusing on the right things (or the wrong things!) will give direction to your life.  Like David, our focus will also play a big role in determining our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical health.  We can choose to fret about every thing and every person or we can choose to trust in the Lord God.

Whether we are younger or older, staying focused on the right things (i.e., avoiding distractions!) is rarely easy.  As we embark on this journey together, I invite you to reflect, pray, and act on the lessons we learn from David in Psalm 37.

Reflect

Write down the three most important lessons you have learned in your life. 

*Where have you seen the Holy Spirit taking the initiative in teaching you each of these lessons?  *Which one of those three lessons do you wish someone in the generation following you could learn sooner than later? 

*How could you be a part of helping that person to both learn and apply that lesson?

Pray

Lord, it is easy to forget the lessons you have taught me.  Forgive me when I forget what you have taught me about life, love, and leadership. 

Lord, help me to be thankful for each lesson even when some of the lessons have come during seasons of great trouble and struggle.  I thank you for loving me so much and knowing me so deeply that you have taught me the exact lessons I needed at exactly the right time. 

Lord, nudge me to take time this week to share with a younger person one of the lessons I have learned.  Help me to approach them with a humble heart as you continue to develop in them a teachable spirit.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Act

Invite someone younger than you to join you for conversation this week.  Share the most important lesson the Holy Spirit has taught you about life.  Then, listen as they try to articulate the next lesson they need to learn.  Ask if and how you can be of help to them.