Devotional: Trusting in God
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
- Psalm 37:3-7
I came across Psalm 37 in my daily Bible reading this past week and have been meditating on its application.
The first takeaway is how it reveals God’s shepherd heart toward His children. It uses the imperative verbs “trust,” “dwell,” “enjoy,” “be still,” “wait,” and “do not fret.” All these words imply that God wants us to rest. He has never asked us to strive and use force, but rather to submit by trusting in Him.
The second takeaway are other actions He asks of us. He says, “do good,” “commit your way to the Lord,” “take delight in the Lord,” and “do not fret.” These actions are how we exercise our trust and rest in God. He wants us to do good (even when it’s difficult), commit our ways to Him (even when we want to choose a different path), take delight in Him (even when we want to find satisfaction in worldly things instead), and not to fret (even when it feels like things are spiraling out of our control).
The third takeaway is the result of trusting, dwelling, taking delight, committing your ways, and waiting patiently on the Lord. He will provide for your needs and reward you. That reward could be stored up in heaven or it could be on earth, or both. He won’t go back on those promises.
As a whole, this psalm reminds me of Matthew 6:33, which says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things [your needs] will be given to you as well.”
Waiting on God when others are succeeding
It’s in our human nature to start itching for retaliation when we are hurt or betrayed by someone. Sometimes, we want them to experience the pain they have caused us. God’s way is different, though. When we have Him on our side, we can “enjoy the pasture” while waiting on Him to take action for our sake. This means that we can have peace and lack of worry because our Good Shepherd will handle it in His timing.
Another aspect of waiting is when we see ungodly people succeeding in the world, while we feel like we are in the shadows of a cave. To use the analogy of a pasture, we are the sheep waaay out in the middle of nowhere, whereas the ungodly are well-known in the town making a name for themselves.
But, it is the sheep who are being nurtured and taken care of, grazing on the grass and experiencing the gracious company of their Shepherd. Sheep don’t have to worry or strive.
Ultimately, I envision God smiling while speaking this psalm over us when we start to worry, when we strive, when we feel disregarded, or when we are victimized. His disposition is relaxed and calm because He is in control, not allowing anything to go noticed.
Take a moment: How does this psalm speak to you today?
Maybe it speaks to the busy-ness you are facing in life, so you are feeling the lack of spiritual rest. I encourage you to take just 20 minutes to pray and read this psalm slowly, thinking about the truths in it.
Maybe it speaks to your anxious thoughts about the future. I encourage you to write down those worries and give them God. Let Him know that you will no longer dwell on those thoughts because you trust that He can take care of you. Repeat the process if they keep coming to mind.
Maybe it speaks to your desires and longings, wondering when God will fulfill them. I encourage you to pray for your desires again. I also encourage you to end each prayer by asking God, “If my desires are not Yours, then please replace them with Your desires so that Your will be done.”
Maybe it speaks to the hurt you are dealing with from someone. Meditate on this section: “He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Remind yourself that God will keep His promise to vindicate you as you continue to commit your ways to Him.
Maybe it speaks to the fear of not fitting into a group of ungodly friends. It could be that you want to fit in with people who are not doing good and not committing their ways to God. Remind yourself that their consequences are close behind them, but trusting in God will result in rewards much greater. You will be blessed for choosing His ways above the world’s ways.
Maybe it speaks to your lack of worldly success or being unknown. Pray for God to show you that being close to Him is the ultimate success. You might never have a “big-break” while here on earth but remember that your treasures are stored up in heaven as long as you keep Him first.
Trusting in God by committing our ways to Him and taking delight in His presence is what it means to live by faith.
-Alina