“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalms 37:3-7 NLT
David writes this Psalm as if he knows what he’s talking about. His confidence is in his own experience from the past – delighting in the Lord.
There are a thousand words I could reach for and dozens of emotions to match each morning that I open my eyes and begin to think about my day. Except for Christmas, the first day vacationing in Tahoe or just a solid day off – I don’t think this word or attitude of delight rises out of my brain with the sun. David learned this delight from years of disappointment and despair.
I am currently listening to an audio book by John Mark Comer called, Live No Lies. He writes that the number one weapon the devil (slanderer) uses is lies and deceit. It’s even more fascinating that we WANT to believe these lies, thinking they will get us what we want without God. Like we can do what we want or get what we want on our own, avoiding God and creating our own version of truth (which is a lie itself).
These words that David wrote – trust, delight, desire and commit are all words of an intimate relationship with the Lord. Being still and patient in God’s presence is a gift. I often want to think, and worse, other people push me to think, that I can control, fix, or make humans do what is right! I cannot. These are things that require me to wait for God to act. God can move, change or flip the human heart. Even the evil schemes of the wicked are used and positioned for His plans and ultimately His glory.
When I worry I am behaving like those who don’t trust, those who scheme to manipulate others and God himself. I would rather wait so my innocence radiates and justice shines because God IS AT WORK, not me.
Prayer
Dad,
Really, all I want is for you to be honored and glorified in and through my life. Of course that does not happen if I continue to control, manipulate or scheme to try to make YOU or others do my own will. You shine brightly when your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Your ways are accomplished through me. Then, and only then, can I be innocent and just in my pursuit of your plans. May it be said of me that I do trust, do delight and desire you with all my heart.