Psalm 37:1-7 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against 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; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 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. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 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.
One of the biggest struggles that Christians often face is desiring the wrong things. As a result of our flesh, we crave the things that are contrary to the Word of God. This is because our heart is deceitful and the potential we have for sin is a lot greater than most of us truly understand.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
One of the reasons we often give in to these desires is because we are envious of the wrong people. Perhaps we envy people that are not living for God (they appear to have more freedom). It could be that we are envying people more financially successful than we are (they give us the assumption that money is everything, not God).
As a result of this envying, our selfish desires grow rapidly within us because of who we are looking at. The Bible tells us not to be envious of the world, but we must covet God and what He can offer us if we live for Him. My encouragement is that we stop envying the world and start making a pursuit for godliness.
We could do this by patterning our lives around those that are fully committed to God. One preacher boy asked his pastor for the best way to become like Jesus. His pastor responded, “By trying to model yourself after someone that’s trying to be like Jesus.” Paul said it best in I Corinthians 1:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
Perhaps, the goal of being like Christ can seem overwhelming for some. That’s why discipleship is so important, and that’s why following the right “models” is so important. Having the right people to look to will only help us to have the God-given desires that the Lord wants planted in our otherwise deceitful and wicked heart. This is the essence of living the fulfilled Christian life– seeking His desires, and allowing Him to fulfill those same desires in our lives.
But how exactly do we unlock the keys to the fulfilled Christian life?
#1 BY TRUSTING IN THE LORD – verse 3
The dictionary definition for trust is, “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety of a person or thing; confidence.” In other words, trusting in the Lord means to place our confidence in God. Trusting the Lord means more than just knowing Who He is and what He says. It is also having confidence in Who He is and what He says.
Trusting in the Lord also means to acknowledge God. Acknowledging God means that we understand He is fully aware of every circumstance that comes our way. It also means that we consider God in all our decisions, by showing through our lives that we are aware of His presence.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
The direct benefit of trusting in God is found in our text passage, “so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” This speaks of having access to God’s provision. Isn’t it a blessing that as we trust in our God, He blesses us with daily provisions and even the occasional “wants” we may have!
#2 BY DELIGHTING IN THE LORD – verse 4
The dictionary definition for delight is, “something that gives great pleasure.” We need to decide now to enjoy God!
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Delighting in the Lord brings us a true satisfaction that many have been looking for in all the wrong places, yet the Bible teaches us that it can only be found through God.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Delighting in the Lord means we are in the Word of God faithfully and consistently because we understand the value God’s Word can bring in our lives. As a result of this understanding, it is only natural for us to covet and desire His Word on a regular basis.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
The direct benefit of delighting in God is “he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” This speaks of God putting within us the right desires. A common phrase we hear is “garbage in, garbage out.” The same principle applies spiritually. When we allow ourselves to be subjected to the Word of God, to Bible preaching, to Godly counsel, it is only natural for the good things to be placed in our heart, and in turn good things to come out.
The key is to delight in the things of God. How much do you truly delight in God? How much are we really just enduring?
#3 BY COMMITTING UNTO THE LORD – verse 5
The dictionary definition for commit, “to cosign to custody.” Committing our ways unto the Lord means that we give Him veto power over our lives. His plan becomes our plan, His desires become our desires.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Has there ever been a time that you signed your life over to God? Some would refer to this as surrendering to God. As Christians, we understand that the direct benefit of committing to God is “he shall bring it to pass.” This verse speaks of bringing to pass the right desires we get from God by delighting in Him and committing to Him.
When we commit ourselves to God, our God-given desires won’t just be desires, but they will turn into reality. The reality of a great marriage can be ours. The reality of a great home can be ours. The reality of a great ministry can be ours! Let’s not miss out on any more amazing realities that we can personally experience as a result of committing our lives to God!
What if God gave us the same commitment that we showed Him? Whether if it’s His commitment to providing for us or even protecting us? I think you might agree that would be a bit of a scary thought!
#4 BY RESTING IN THE LORD – verse 7-9
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
To rest in the Lord requires patience in the Lord. Resting in the Lord means we go to Him for comfort, not run to others or our own understanding. Resting in the Lord means we go to Him for safety, understanding that He is powerful and caring enough to protect us.
The direct benefit for resting in the Lord is “but they that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” This speaks of unspeakable blessing beyond that which we are capable of receiving. Patience in the Lord brings the best blessings imaginable. We are in a go-go society. Everything is rushed. Unfortunately, we as Christians give very limited time to just resting, calculating, and even practicing patience, and as a result we miss out on what God has for us.
There are a whole lot of people looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. Unfortunately, Christians are taking part of this erroneous pattern. May we as God’s people understand the importance of getting the right desires from God, and allowing God to fulfill those same desires in our lives by trusting, delighting, committing, and resting in the Lord.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE DAY
Psalm 37:4-5 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.
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