Worried?

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
Be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him, and He will act,
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
--Psalm 37: 1-6

It is so easy to worry and fret in this world.  My plans often seem to go awry more than they work out.  My prayers for others--especially for the salvation of others--can go months and years without any sign of answer.  And on top of this, there can be a nagging suspicion that worldly, unsaved people are better off than I am.

We know that trust is the opposite of worry.  But an abstract concept like "trusting God more" can be hard to apply in the real world.  Thankfully, God gives us some concrete ways to build our faith and overcome our worries right here in Psalm 37.

1.  Remember that the wicked will not last forever.  Have you ever been jealous of someone that you knew was not a believer?  Maybe their less conservative sense of humor was gaining them more popularity and attention than you were getting.  Maybe their lower standards were allowing them to have an apparently successful dating relationship, while you stayed single.  Maybe they were taking shortcuts at work, making their job easier and leaving them off no worse than rule-followers like you.  The broad road can offer temptation even to those who have been travelling on the narrow one for quite some time.  What God reminds us is that the glory and beauty of a wicked person will not last.  When their popularity and success and external attractiveness fades to dust, the blessings in your life will still be shining just as bright.  God will still be your God, your Christian friendships will have stood the test of time, and heaven will still be waiting for you.  So don't get caught up in what looks like success but is actually just a blade of grass that will be cut down tomorrow afternoon.

2. Do good.  As simple as this sounds, this is actually a profound truth.  Nobody ever overcame any worries in their life by sitting around worrying about them.  If things are going to ever get better, you need to hand over your worries to God, get up off the ground, and do the next thing you know He wants you to do.

3.  Delight yourself in the LORD.  When the worrisome aspects of life are getting you down, maybe it's because you aren't remembering who's in charge.  A sparrow doesn't fall from the sky, or a hair from your head, without God knowing about it.  So maybe it's time we got to know Him as well as we know our anxieties.  Be intentional about this.  Decide that you will spend 15 minutes of your quiet time just delighting in God.  Let your mind wander about the incredible blessings and lasting pleasures of knowing Him.  Read Psalms, the first chapters of Epistles, old Hymns, and Puritan prayers, and praise Him.

4. Commit your way to the LORD.  Right now, what worries are on your mind?  Sometimes it can help to just write out every single thing that is causing you to feel this way, and commit it to Him. I think it is amazing how soon feelings of relief can sweep in once I have finally given my troubles over to God.  Committing every decision, relationship, essay,  job interview and gospel opportunity to the Lord is not more than He wants from you.  Knowing that you have left it all in His hands can be a wonderful source of peace.

And when we take these steps towards trusting God, we do not just make ourselves feel better.  God has given us promises here for how he will really help us once we have done these things.  And here's a news flash--God keeps His promises.  That means that you can know for sure:

-As you learn to delight in God, the desires of your heart will be met in Him.
-As you commit your ways to the Lord, He will act in the ins and outs of your life.
-As you choose to obey in the midst of turmoil, God will grow you into a more righteous and happy person.

May God bring us peace.