3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

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 act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 37:3-7

Tai-Chi is martial arts in slow motion. I’m always intrigued when I watch lines of people at Queen Elizabeth park going through the motions. Apparently if sped up these very motions can guard your life against an enemy. These people are training their mind and  body. They are rehearsing the motions and postures of defence and some even suggest of good health.

In matters of the soul what we rehearse can save our life and shape our character. In Psalm 37 David is concerned with fortifying the soul against the faith-killing infections of envy and anxiety. When confronted with a world that is not fair and appears to be inhabited by people who prevail through wickedness, David directs his soul into the motions of faith in God.

Trust in Lord.

Delight yourself in the Lord.

Be still before the Lord.

Wait patently for the Lord.

These motions of prayer become the motions of life that shape our character with Jesus Christ. Instead of the brittle product of self entitlement and violence you can have the flexible and responsive product David latter identifies in Psalm 37 as meekness.

Let’s go through the motions of faith daily.