Bible Thoughts May 21, 2000
"Trust in Jehovah and do good"(Psalm 37:3).
This encouragement from David is as appropriate in our day as it was in the days of the King of Israel. David realized, whether as a shepherd or a king, the one in whom he must place his confidence is the Lord. How unlike men. In any age, one can find people who trust in themselves, in wealth, in secular knowledge, in the ways of men, in false doctrines, and a host of other offerings of this life. None, however, can be greater than the trust one is to have in the God who created him. In every circumstance in which David found himself, his trust was in Jehovah. Even when he sinned, David asked the Lord to forgive him and give him strength. The ultimate trust of David carried him through the problems he faced. Such a faith in the Lord's way can become the strength for any Christian.
In addition to trusting, one is to "do good." There are many folks who express verbally their trust in the Lord, but fail to follow through with the works of righteousness. James pointed out, "Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself"(2:17). Actions count; idle words do not.
The world has often made fun of the "do gooder." Yet, this is plainly what God expects of those who would serve Him. How better to serve one's fellow man than to do good to that person. With the trust one has in the Almighty, it is possible to do all things that are acceptable to God. Even when the world criticizes the disciple, the trust one has in the Lord continues to carry the Christian through the trials of this life.
The trust one has in men may fail, resulting in severe disappointment; the trust one has in God will never fail unless the trusting one chooses to reject that trust.
"Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass"(Psalm 37:5).
The writer had just revealed, "Commit thy way unto Jehovah." There is much talk about commitment in our day. The world has its causes and desire that people commit themselves to the success of their endeavors. Some are dedicated enough to what they believe to be good for themselves and others that they will make great sacrifices. What David discovered was that commitment to the Lord is what counted. When this occurred, he looked to the Lord to "bring it to pass."
It is essential that one believe in what the Lord has commanded. Anything short of complete trust in His way and His word will result in failure. Such commitment is greater than simply going through the motions of being a disciple. It is the strength that will carry one through the greatest of trials. David did not give up his trust in God when Saul tried to harm him. He did not give up his trust in the Lord when he was guilty of sin; in fact, he recognized that he was guilty before God and pleaded for forgiveness. Whatever the nature of one's trials, the Lord's help is always available to the Christian.
"Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him"(Psalm 37:7).
Impatience has been an affliction of many. Because the Lord does not immediately answer my prayer or correct a situation, we tend to blame the Lord. Why did the Lord do this to me? Why did the Lord not take care of my situation? Why did the Lord not punish those who mistreated me? Why did I have to wait so long for the Lord to bless me? In an instant society, we want instant results. The Lord acts in his own time; hence patience (endurance) is the way of a faithful disciple.
There are numbers of people who become impatient while waiting for something good to happen. The Hebrews waited for many centuries to see and honor the Messiah. Their impatience with Christ and the rejection of the Lord is a sad commentary on those who claimed to belong to Jehovah. The Christian can be patient because the Christian believes and trusts in the Lord's way. "Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord"(James 5:7).
"Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way"(Psalm 37:34).
There are a host of folks who try to get ahead of Jehovah. Not only have they failed to acquire patience, they do not recognize the need to stop long enough to read, study, and obey his word. One can never learn to keep the Lord's commandments(way) unless the seeker is willing to slow down enough to find out what is right in the Lord's sight.
It is the Lord's way that needs to be considered in morals and religious activities. Keeping the Lord's way covers the life of a Christian. The Hebrews did not always consider the Lord's way and the Lord brought their kingdom to an end.
What a lesson for us. We must keep the Lord's way in our individual lives. We must keep the Lord's way as the body of Christ in this community. Before we rush off to do something for the Lord, let us "wait for Jehovah" by searching the New Testament to find out what is truly the Lord's way.