Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

#1 TRUST in the Lord (Psa. 37:3)
#2 DELIGHT yourself in the Lord (vs. 4)
#3 COMMIT your way to the Lord (vs. 5)
#4 BE STILL before the Lord (vs. 7)

Psalm 37:3
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

#1 Trust in the Lord (Ps. 37:3)

To trust God is not the same as to tempt God.

Matthew 4:5-7
Then the devil took him to the holy city…and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you…On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order to become contaminated and thus per chance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.

If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me, and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my death or the death of others.

If my neighbor needs me however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.

Luther’s Works, volume 43, p. 132
written circa, 1500

#1 Trust in the Lord (Psa. 37:3)

You can be concerned without being consumed.

Corrie Ten Boom

“Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts
whirling around a center of fear.”

#2 DELIGHT yourself in the Lord (vs. 4)

Desire God, not simply relief from anxiety.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will
give you the desires of your heart.

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

James 1:2
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds

#2 Delight yourself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4)

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with him.

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

#3 COMMIT your way to the Lord (vs. 5)

God can carry God-sized burdens, you cannot.

Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him,
and he will act.

#3 Commit your way to the Lord (37:5)

Prayer should be a pattern, not a panic button.

William James

“The sovereign cure for worry is prayer.”

#4 BE STILL before the Lord (vs. 7)

It’s not about your busyness, it’s about God’s faithfulness.

Psalm 37:5
Be still before the LORD and wait
patiently for him.

"When we’re anxious, it’s hard to be still. We think if we work harder relief from the anxiety will come. But we accomplish one task, only to grow anxious about another. We run faster, only to discover our anxious thoughts were waiting on us at the next destination. We cannot outwork nor outrun our anxious thoughts." - Phil Moser

Taken from: Safe in the Storm:
biblical strategies for overcoming anxiety

You’re smiling like you’re scared to death;
You’re out of faith and all out of breath;
You’re so afraid you’ve got nowhere left to go.
Well, you are not alone.
I will always be with you.
You don’t have to work so hard;
You can rest easy.
You don’t have to prove yourself;
You’re already mine.
You don’t have to hide your heart;
I already love you.
I hold it in mine.
So, you can rest easy.
© Andrew Peterson

#4 Be still before the Lord (37:7)

God is in control and we are not.

Lecrae

“We haven’t lost control of our lives; we’ve lost the illusion we were ever in control.”

If you don’t see God as wise and loving, you will not be comforted by his sovereignty.

God is all-loving: he WANTS what is best for you (1 John 4:8-9)
God is all-powerful: he can ACCOMPLISH what is best for you (Jer. 32:17)
God is all-wise: he KNOWS what’s best for you (Rom. 11:33).