Psalm 37:1-6 (NKJV)
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
Explanation:
Have you asked yourself lately, “Why does this have to be so hard? I’m trying to do a good thing here!” Often the more worthy the goal we’re trying to achieve, the harder it becomes to actually accomplish it. You make a resolution to finally lose weight and eat healthier, and suddenly a half sheet of leftover birthday cake ambushes you on your kitchen counter and someone decides to send you a chocolate bouquet. God convicts your heart to spend more time with Him, and everything and everyone around you starts conspiring to distract you the minute you sit down for your quiet time. Or God has given you a dream in your heart that you know is from Him…but it’s not the right season yet, and He asks you to wait, and wait, and wait some more. So often we are tempted to take the easy route like so many others do, to quit on our resolutions, forget trying so hard to focus on God, and just step out and make things happen…even without the blessing of God on it.
Last year, I found this passage gave me an exact formula for accomplishing all that I am waiting on in my life, so I’ve had it posted on our family room bookshelf for the past year. The words have become so comforting and dear to my heart, especially when the weight of waiting to see in the physical what God has spoken to my spirit gets tough. The psalmist commands us to place our trust in the Lord, and continue to do good. Whatever He has placed in my hands this day is all He expects of me, and as I bring goodness to the world around me today, He can be trusted with all that I couldn’t accomplish yet.
Next, “Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness”! The word “dwell” for me suggests living in the place you are right now, with contentedness, not always looking for the next season or the next thing. “Dwell” where you are now! He has strategically positioned you in the exact place you are, in the circumstances you are surrounded by…don’t always be looking for an escape. Instead, “feed on His faithfulness”! Allow who He is to satisfy your hunger, and fill yourself up on His character so you don’t look to other things for temporary gratification.
Lastly, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart”! Find delight in your relationship with Him! Don’t begrudge Him the time it takes to read your Bible, to communicate with Him, to sit with Him in worship. Not a second of it will be wasted! Similar to marriage, a relationship can’t grow without time spent together, and having joy in those times. When you allow yourself to take pleasure in His presence, your relationship can’t help but thrive, and He promises to give you the desires of your heart that are for your good, that you have been waiting for.
Application:
What are some things you are finding hard to achieve in this season?
Write down some “desires of your heart” that you’ve been waiting on.
How do you plan to accomplish #1 and #2? Write down ways you can obey Him with the following verbs: “Trust… dwell… feed… delight… commit…” Keep what you’ve written down to look back on next year at this time, and see all that God has done!
Prayer:
Lord God, it’s so tempting to want to take the easy way out, to always be looking to the next thing, to rush things before You’ve given them to us, or to make things happen as the world tells us to. Help us, God, to find our delight in You, to dwell with content in the land You’ve given us, and to continue to do good within each day that lays before us. Help us commit our ways to You, so that YOU can bring to pass all that is on our hearts to do. We know that whatever YOU do, it will be forever! In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen!