Resting in the Lord
"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes."1
At the beginning of Psalm 37 we are told what we must do to receive the desires of our hearts. But if we read on, we find that the psalmist encourages us to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for God to act, even when we are tempted to worry about how evil people may seem to be prospering.
Resting sounds easy, but sometimes it can require supernatural strength. Our natural tendency is to rush, worry, and impose our plans, which takes our minds away from delight and trust in the Lord. The stronger our desire, the more impatient we are. Sometimes we may even try to give God instructions, but true rest happens when we trust in His plan. He alone understands every circumstance and knows the precise moment, the best time, to answer our prayer.
Therefore, the basic principles of Psalm 37 are interrelated: we must spend time delighting ourselves in God in order to learn to trust Him and commit ourselves to His way. Doing this frees us to rest in His control and wait patiently for Him to act. By ceasing to be distracted by the success of others who may be far from God, we can fully trust in God's perfect plan for us.
Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for granting me the desires of my heart. Help me today to delight in you, to give you everything, and to rest knowing that you have everything under control. I'll wait for your perfect timing. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen.
1. Salmos 37:7 (NVI).
Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.