Throughout February and March, I’ve been struggling with the concept of trust. Trusting in God for His ultimate plan and being patient when I cannot see the answer on the horizon. I was led to a passage in Psalms which I have claimed as my promise: Psalm 37. I will not relay all the things the Lord impressed on my heart; however, I will share what may be helpful to you.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psalm 37:4-5,7
(boldened text is my addition) It goes on to say,
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
Many of you have probably heard the verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” That phrase “be still” does not mean to recklessly let go and let God. Instead, it means to sink or relax. Picture yourself laying inside a very soft beanbag or trust falling into someone’s arms. You have full confidence in them as you sink into their presence. We are to have peace because He hears our cries and sees our tears when no one else does. He sees our pain. He is asking us to be patient and wait for the gift He is preparing. Many, like me, feel their prayers bouncing off the ceiling back into their laps. Let me encourage you with what helps me.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psalm 34: 17-19
He does hear us. Our prayers are indeed reaching His ears if we have a clean fellowship with Him. We have a High Priest who mediates for us (1 Timothy 2:5). Our prayers are ever before His face (Revelation 5:8, 8:3,4). When we place our worries in HIs hands and take our control off of them, we face the opposition because we are destroying the enemy where it matters (Ephesians 6:12). Prayer is our greatest weapon.
If you noticed in the first group of verses, v.4 says to “delight thyself” and He shall give us the desires of our heart. I’m not preaching the prosperity gospel where you follow God so you can get everything on your Christmas list. However, the key is the “delight”. What does it mean when we delight in the Lord? Good question.
Last night as I was reading through the book of the prophet Jeremiah, I came across a verse in chapter 9.
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. (v.24)
If we follow Christ, our hearts become molded to His will. He also gives us new desires: Lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.
- Lovingkindness – faithful kindness, goodness, mercy
- Judgment – Justice
- Righteousness – justice, righteousness (moral)
If we follow Him, He will not let our foot slip. We will still stumble, but we will not be cast down and out of the fight, rejected like dirty rags. Here is a piece of advice. Don’t follow the catchy saying: follow your heart but take your brain with you. Instead, give both to God and let Him lead you.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9
If we follow our fleshly desires, we will receive shallow things. Anything that we try to do will become something good twisted. Satan does not know God. He does not know Love. Thus, anything he promises us is not from its true Source and will leave us empty. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Christ is calling us to follow Him so that we may live a life of abundance (John 10:10)! We are creatures plagued by sin, held captive by its rusty contaminated chains day after day. If we follow our hearts, we will twist the good things. By following Him, giving Him our hearts, and letting Him guide us, our chances of slipping and falling are slim (Psalm 37:23-24). Walking with Christ is not a killjoy, for boundaries bring freedom. Think about a football game. How fun would it be if you could run on the sidelines? (Although that would be a funny game, it would be extremely distracting.)
Trust in the Lord always and rejoice in His name. Believe the promise and hold to the hope He has given you. He will answer when He is finished preparing you, along with whatever/whomever else is involved. The greatest lesson is often in the silence of waiting. Just as a teacher is silent during the test, sometimes we tend to not feel His presence in our trials. Trust that He is there. He sees you.
The Wanderer 
“If we follow Christ, our hearts become molded to His will,” this quote describes to me the difference between someone who truly loves their Lord as their Master and someone who puts the “Christian” hat on when people are around. Many people are wanting God to be their “genie in a bottle,” where He is only there for their wish list. Like you stated above our hearts will connect to God’s will for our lives and we will desire for His will in our lives and not our superficial wish list. To fall back into God’s arms and rest in Him would be the ultimate peace on this earth. Thank you for your words.
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