Trust in The Lord
Trust in The Lord
Psalm 37:3-5
Tell me, what does it look like when you are trusting completely in the Lord? If you need to dive into what God’s Word says about trusting in the Lord, then grab your Bible, a journal or notebook, and something to write with. Today’s devotion focuses on Psalm 37:3-5. Pause, meditate and make notes as you go along today so that you have a meaningful interaction time with God. Today’s verses come from the ESV translation of the Bible.
Psalm 37:3-5 (ESV)
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.
This Psalm was written by King David and verse 25 tells us that it was written by King David when he was an old man. And so, certainly, he would have been looking back over a long life filled with both victories and defeats, in fact, plenty of both.
Here are more verses that speak to our focus today.
Psalm 37:7 (ESV)
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 37:23, 25 (ESV)
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
…
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:27, 29 (ESV)
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
…
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
Psalm 37:34 (ESV)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
Psalm 37:39 (ESV)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
When you look at this Psalm as a whole, which you should, it seems like King David is talking to a person who is kind of questioning his current circumstances, maybe he’s talking to himself – he does that in a lot of the Psalms. Perhaps the person is questioning maybe where he’s at, maybe what he’s doing, and a person who’s questioning maybe where God is at, and what God is doing. And you might be questioning those same things, either regarding your current circumstances or God. This is a psalm that is calling us to contentment. And it is challenging us to avoid questioning, complaining, and longing for some other circumstance – some “grass is greener” situation. And it’s challenging us to avoid asking God, “Why?” And avoid asking God, “Why me?” Or avoid asking God, “Why them?”
This is a psalm about contentment.
Again, Psalm 37:3 says, Trust in the Lord, and do good. Lean on him. Rely on the Lord. Be confident in the Lord, alone. Put all of your trust in the Lord, and do good; meaning put your trust into action. Trust God and then show that you trust him by doing good. ...dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. I really like the phrase befriend faithfulness. Make faithfulness your friend. Dwell in the land meaning grow where you’re planted and make faithfulness your friend.
Other translations say, feed… dwell in the land, grow where you’re planted, and feed on God’s faithfulness. Make God’s faithfulness your life source. And so, it means no fretting, no complaining, no discontent, but instead trusting completely in the Lord. And putting that trust into action by doing good.
As so now, let’s focus on this phrase dwell in the land. This can be a result of trusting in the Lord, right? Like, if you trust in the Lord this is the result – you dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. But it can also be a description of what it looks like when we are trusting in the Lord. Because as we learn to truly trust in the Lord, we just kind of begin to settle in.
And instead of going berserk, and trying this and that, and trying to accomplish what we think should be accomplished and get where we think we should be, and become what we think we should become – instead of all that, we just settle in, we dwell in the land, we grow where we’re planted, and we feed on his faithfulness, we befriend God’s faithfulness. We rely on God’s faithfulness. God’s faithfulness becomes our source right where we find ourselves.
That doesn’t mean that God will never have us change geographic locations. What it means is that we are no longer being deceived by that “grass is greener” syndrome, we’re no longer imagining that the grass is greener “over there” somewhere. And instead of imagining the grass is greener somewhere else, we fully embrace the faithfulness of God. We feed on his faithfulness. We make his faithfulness our friend. And it results in having peace and contentment in God right where we are at.
And then again, Psalm 37:4 says, Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Delight yourself in the Lord. Find your joy in his will. Delight yourself in his will. Trusting completely in God’s will, relying completely on the Lord alone. And as you do that, God will put the desires of his will for you in your heart. And then, God will give you those desires that he has put in your heart as you were delighting yourself in him.
Let me say it again. As you’re delighting yourself in the Lord, finding your joy in his will, trusting completely in his will, relying on him alone, God will put the desires of his will for you in your heart. And then he will give you those desires that he has put in your heart, as you were delighting yourself in him.
Trusting in the Lord, relying completely on his faithfulness, and delighting yourself in the Lord – these things add up to an incredible relationship with God where God can put his will for you into your heart and then give you the desires of your heart that he has put there. (That’s the third time I’ve said it – it’s too awesome!)
And then finally, Psalm 37:5, Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Commit your way. It means to roll the direction of your life onto God. It means to roll over, to give to, to roll the course of your life – your way – to roll it onto God. To give God the burden of the direction of your life. To take your hands off the wheel of your life and to give that to the Lord, to give the direction of your life, your way, to the Lord. “Jesus, take the wheel.”
It means to commit everything you do to the Lord. Commit your way to him and trust in him. It’s the same as we started in verse 3 trust in the Lord. Give him the direction of your life and then trust him completely, and he will act. God will act. He absolutely will. Maybe not how you want him to act, maybe not when you want him to act, maybe not where you want him to act, but God’s promise is he will act. He will act on your behalf. He will step in to help you.
God will get involved in your life and he will bring his will to pass in your life because you are trusting in the Lord and doing good. And because you are growing where you’re planted, and feeding on his faithfulness. And because you are delighting in the Lord, and because you are committing everything you do, and every way you are going to the Lord. Because you are living this lifestyle, God will step in and he will act on your behalf. And he will give you the desires of your heart that he has put there.
How do these verses apply to your life today? Just slow down for one minute, and focus on these verses. How do they apply to your life today? What area of your life are these verses speaking specifically to today? Take a minute – right now. Listen for the Holy Spirit to bring up an area of your life that God wants you to really, specifically apply these verses to today. And then, right now, respond to God. Ask the Holy Spirit where these verses apply and get ready to respond to God.
Lord, where do these verses specifically apply to my life, today? What area of my life, Lord, are you calling me to allow your Word to pierce my heart? What are you speaking to me about today, Lord?
What prayer can you pray in response to applying these verses to your life, today? What kind of response would God call you to, today? What can you repent of? What burden can you release to God? What commitment can you make to God, today?
Lord, these verses do apply to me, today. Your Word does speak to me, today, Lord. And Lord, this is the area. Here is the area of my life that stands out most to me in response to these verses. This area, God. This part of my life of how I feel, of what I think, of what occupies my mind, of what I’m driving to, Lord. Here’s the area that I believe that you are calling out in my life with these verses, today. Here is my prayer, Lord, for how these verses specifically apply to my life. And Lord, here is my response. Here’s my response to you, Lord. Here’s my response, today.
For more information on this ministry or to contact us go to MyDailyChurch.com.
Psalm 37:3-5 (ESV)
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.
This Psalm was written by King David and verse 25 tells us that it was written by King David when he was an old man. And so, certainly, he would have been looking back over a long life filled with both victories and defeats, in fact, plenty of both.
Here are more verses that speak to our focus today.
Psalm 37:7 (ESV)
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 37:23, 25 (ESV)
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
…
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:27, 29 (ESV)
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
…
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
Psalm 37:34 (ESV)
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
Psalm 37:39 (ESV)
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
When you look at this Psalm as a whole, which you should, it seems like King David is talking to a person who is kind of questioning his current circumstances, maybe he’s talking to himself – he does that in a lot of the Psalms. Perhaps the person is questioning maybe where he’s at, maybe what he’s doing, and a person who’s questioning maybe where God is at, and what God is doing. And you might be questioning those same things, either regarding your current circumstances or God. This is a psalm that is calling us to contentment. And it is challenging us to avoid questioning, complaining, and longing for some other circumstance – some “grass is greener” situation. And it’s challenging us to avoid asking God, “Why?” And avoid asking God, “Why me?” Or avoid asking God, “Why them?”
This is a psalm about contentment.
Again, Psalm 37:3 says, Trust in the Lord, and do good. Lean on him. Rely on the Lord. Be confident in the Lord, alone. Put all of your trust in the Lord, and do good; meaning put your trust into action. Trust God and then show that you trust him by doing good. ...dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. I really like the phrase befriend faithfulness. Make faithfulness your friend. Dwell in the land meaning grow where you’re planted and make faithfulness your friend.
Other translations say, feed… dwell in the land, grow where you’re planted, and feed on God’s faithfulness. Make God’s faithfulness your life source. And so, it means no fretting, no complaining, no discontent, but instead trusting completely in the Lord. And putting that trust into action by doing good.
As so now, let’s focus on this phrase dwell in the land. This can be a result of trusting in the Lord, right? Like, if you trust in the Lord this is the result – you dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. But it can also be a description of what it looks like when we are trusting in the Lord. Because as we learn to truly trust in the Lord, we just kind of begin to settle in.
And instead of going berserk, and trying this and that, and trying to accomplish what we think should be accomplished and get where we think we should be, and become what we think we should become – instead of all that, we just settle in, we dwell in the land, we grow where we’re planted, and we feed on his faithfulness, we befriend God’s faithfulness. We rely on God’s faithfulness. God’s faithfulness becomes our source right where we find ourselves.
That doesn’t mean that God will never have us change geographic locations. What it means is that we are no longer being deceived by that “grass is greener” syndrome, we’re no longer imagining that the grass is greener “over there” somewhere. And instead of imagining the grass is greener somewhere else, we fully embrace the faithfulness of God. We feed on his faithfulness. We make his faithfulness our friend. And it results in having peace and contentment in God right where we are at.
And then again, Psalm 37:4 says, Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Delight yourself in the Lord. Find your joy in his will. Delight yourself in his will. Trusting completely in God’s will, relying completely on the Lord alone. And as you do that, God will put the desires of his will for you in your heart. And then, God will give you those desires that he has put in your heart as you were delighting yourself in him.
Let me say it again. As you’re delighting yourself in the Lord, finding your joy in his will, trusting completely in his will, relying on him alone, God will put the desires of his will for you in your heart. And then he will give you those desires that he has put in your heart, as you were delighting yourself in him.
Trusting in the Lord, relying completely on his faithfulness, and delighting yourself in the Lord – these things add up to an incredible relationship with God where God can put his will for you into your heart and then give you the desires of your heart that he has put there. (That’s the third time I’ve said it – it’s too awesome!)
And then finally, Psalm 37:5, Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Commit your way. It means to roll the direction of your life onto God. It means to roll over, to give to, to roll the course of your life – your way – to roll it onto God. To give God the burden of the direction of your life. To take your hands off the wheel of your life and to give that to the Lord, to give the direction of your life, your way, to the Lord. “Jesus, take the wheel.”
It means to commit everything you do to the Lord. Commit your way to him and trust in him. It’s the same as we started in verse 3 trust in the Lord. Give him the direction of your life and then trust him completely, and he will act. God will act. He absolutely will. Maybe not how you want him to act, maybe not when you want him to act, maybe not where you want him to act, but God’s promise is he will act. He will act on your behalf. He will step in to help you.
God will get involved in your life and he will bring his will to pass in your life because you are trusting in the Lord and doing good. And because you are growing where you’re planted, and feeding on his faithfulness. And because you are delighting in the Lord, and because you are committing everything you do, and every way you are going to the Lord. Because you are living this lifestyle, God will step in and he will act on your behalf. And he will give you the desires of your heart that he has put there.
How do these verses apply to your life today? Just slow down for one minute, and focus on these verses. How do they apply to your life today? What area of your life are these verses speaking specifically to today? Take a minute – right now. Listen for the Holy Spirit to bring up an area of your life that God wants you to really, specifically apply these verses to today. And then, right now, respond to God. Ask the Holy Spirit where these verses apply and get ready to respond to God.
Lord, where do these verses specifically apply to my life, today? What area of my life, Lord, are you calling me to allow your Word to pierce my heart? What are you speaking to me about today, Lord?
What prayer can you pray in response to applying these verses to your life, today? What kind of response would God call you to, today? What can you repent of? What burden can you release to God? What commitment can you make to God, today?
Lord, these verses do apply to me, today. Your Word does speak to me, today, Lord. And Lord, this is the area. Here is the area of my life that stands out most to me in response to these verses. This area, God. This part of my life of how I feel, of what I think, of what occupies my mind, of what I’m driving to, Lord. Here’s the area that I believe that you are calling out in my life with these verses, today. Here is my prayer, Lord, for how these verses specifically apply to my life. And Lord, here is my response. Here’s my response to you, Lord. Here’s my response, today.
For more information on this ministry or to contact us go to MyDailyChurch.com.