" A God We Can Trust"

1 Don't be upset because of evil people. Don't be jealous of those who do wrong, 2 because like the grass, they will soon dry up.  Like green plants, they will soon die away. 3 Trust the Lord and do good.
Live in the land and feed on truth.  4 Enjoy serving the Lord,  and he will give you what you want. 5 Depend on the Lord;  Trust him, and he will take care of you.  6 Then your goodness will shine like the sun,
and your fairness like the noonday sun.  7 Wait and trust the Lord. Don't be upset when others get rich
or when someone else's plans succeed.  8 Don't get angry.   Don't be upset; it only leads to trouble.
9 Evil people will be sent away,  but those who trust the Lord will inherit the land.  Psalm 37:1-9 (NCV)

Throughout Scripture, we are admonished to trust in the Lord. When times are good, this doesn’t seem like a difficult task. However, when trials arise, it is much more difficult to rely fully upon Him.  Yet it is always important for us to place our trust in the living God, especially when everything around us seems to be falling apart. That may well have been the situation that inspired the writing of Psalm 37.

Notice that in today’s passage, the psalmist mentions several times that we should not fret (vv. 1, 7, 8). Distress over a situation is the opposite of trust, and fretting has ill effects. For one thing, it can take a toll on physical and emotional wellbeing. Another problem is that feeding worry can lead to evildoing: by attempting to manage the situation quickly in our human way, we may miss God’s best solution. A third consequence is that others may not enjoy our company, so we could lose our effective witness for the kingdom.

What, then, is the antidote for worry and stress during a difficult time? Absolute trust in Christ. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” This means we are to lay all our burdens at His feet, believing that He is good, loving, and in control.

When trials arise, do you run toward the Lord? Or do you try to handle things yourself? He who created you can handle any difficulty and pain, even when it seems overwhelming. What He desires is your surrender and trust. It is in His arms that you will find rest for your soul.
 
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER!
 
DAWN