In Quietness and Trust

Have you ever faced something that has been said about you? Something that you know is not true?  Something another has misunderstood or has not even asked you about?  Perhaps you have been the recipient of misunderstanding or maybe you have even unknowingly been the instigator. Perhaps you have tried to help another and the enemy has made your motive seem wrong and destructive. Because we live out His love in our relationships, living for Christ places those relationships at risk. In Psalm 37:1-11, He guides us safely through rough waters, and offers direction to handle whatever comes against us.

“Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight 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 do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

“Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

“A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity” (NIV).

            The meek will inherit the land. The meek will receive that which is meant to be theirs. Those who are humble in the Lord will receive their promise. No matter what evil they might see around them, it will one day be as nothing. What a promise. But I must have a humble spirit for it to be true. I must have a heart that seeks God instead of focuses on what I am unable to change. In these verses David outlines exactly what should be real in my life for me to inherit my promise.

            David writes that I am not to fret. Don't worry. Trust in Him. Be assured of His faithfulness no matter what I see. Dwell in the land, and stop finding fault.  Be content. Make commitments to Him. Put down roots and discover that He cares for His own. Delight in Him. Praise Him, and look for the good that He has planted in my life. And He will give me the desires of my heart.

            If I commit my life to Him completely, He will vindicate me. No matter what I face or might be said about me, He shall be my vindicator. I do not have to prove anything. He is my proof, and my promise. In quietness and trust I shall find my strength in Him (Isaiah 30:15). I shall be still and know that He is God. I shall wait for His promise instead of taking matters into my own hand. If I wait for Him my strength is renewed, and my peace is secured. What I see will not injure. What I hear will not finish me. What suddenly arises to destroy my peace will gain no entry. I have committed my life to the Lord, and I trust only in Him.

            My friend, take heart. Commit your way to Him. Trust in Him, and He will take care of what you cannot. When you focus on Him, He becomes your reality instead of the temporal of this world. Those who have misunderstood your heart will not steal your peace. Those who might believe the enemy’s accusations will not steal your joy. When the Lord is your truth and your purpose and your heart’s desire, nothing will prosper against you. In peace and spiritual prosperity, you will know with every fiber of your being that He is your God, and He is in control.

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