What is the hardest thing you ever had to do? Deal with financial problems, job loss or casualty loss? How about the aftermath of a car collision? Have you had family members pass away? Maybe you had an incredibly hard decision to make? Those are all difficult positions to be in but one of the most difficult situations is TRUSTING SOME ONE.
You and I, in this falling world (not fallen because the falling is continuing), will deal with people or one person who is a candidate for "The Problem of the Decade" award. We know the elementary Christian principles of dealing with them, but come on now, "How much more of this can I take?" "I've been dealing with this person for years and I pray to God and this problem is STILL here!"
Math lesson time. What is 23 plus 14? The answer is 37. Everybody knows the twenty third Psalm. Add 14 to that and we wind up at the thirty seventh Psalm. Turn there, please.....
What do we have here? Very clear cut directions for you, me and everyone else as to how to deal with these problem people, and sometimes, these problem people are in your family, like a spouse! What are those directions?
1. Don't constantly "fret" about it!
2. Don't be jealous of them because it seems like they are doing better than you!
3. Remember this: Those people WILL be cut down to size. (Not maybe but WILL)
4. TRUST God!
5. Do good, God is taking care of you!
6. Love God's ways of right and wrong!
7. Commit yourself to the right way , TRUST God and He will work out your proper desires!
8. Wait on God. He knows what to do and when to do it and His ways are PERFECT, yours are not!
9. Don't get angry!
10. Get out of God's way and let Him work this out. YOU do what is right!
So then...the Readers Digest version: Don't worry about it, STOP rehashing it in your mind, don't worry about it, trust in God, don't get angry, get out of God's way and let Him do His thing. All thru this Psalm we have the admonition to TRUST God and that my friends is the most difficult part. How do you trust someone you don't see or hear? ANSWER: You look at what He has done so far in YOUR life and the historic record of people in His Word! You may have answered prayer. Perhaps he intervened in previous situations. Guess what...in all probability He has intervened in your life in situations you don't even know about! Perhaps if He hadn't you would be either dead, on your deathbed with some horrible disease or maybe even in prison. You can ONLY trust someone because they have a PREVIOUS TRACK RECORD of being TRUSTWORTHY. Guess Who has the best? All thru this process, Satan is going to be working on your mind telling you how God isn't going to help you, its ok to help God out by you taking your own action, or "stand up for yourself and go toe-to-toe with the jerk". On the other hand, if you follow God's guidance as shown clearly in Psalm 37, YOU and maybe that other person will be an absolutely excellent example of God's grace and handiwork and THAT is what scares Satan. Satan wants you dead. Got that? The more Believers Satan can directly or indirectly kill, the more he likes it.
I can tell you from deep personal experience, trusting in God when so much you want to handle the problem is one of the hardest things I've had to do in this life. I battle myself every day wanting to "take control". If there was some simple way I could tell you how to trust fully in God, I would do that. When somebody tells you its easy, they haven't been in the trenches.
Please read then re-read and re-read Psalm 37. Very simply it tells us to stay focused on doing what's right and get out of God's way. He knows what He's doing and when to do it!
You and I, in this falling world (not fallen because the falling is continuing), will deal with people or one person who is a candidate for "The Problem of the Decade" award. We know the elementary Christian principles of dealing with them, but come on now, "How much more of this can I take?" "I've been dealing with this person for years and I pray to God and this problem is STILL here!"
Math lesson time. What is 23 plus 14? The answer is 37. Everybody knows the twenty third Psalm. Add 14 to that and we wind up at the thirty seventh Psalm. Turn there, please.....
What do we have here? Very clear cut directions for you, me and everyone else as to how to deal with these problem people, and sometimes, these problem people are in your family, like a spouse! What are those directions?
1. Don't constantly "fret" about it!
2. Don't be jealous of them because it seems like they are doing better than you!
3. Remember this: Those people WILL be cut down to size. (Not maybe but WILL)
4. TRUST God!
5. Do good, God is taking care of you!
6. Love God's ways of right and wrong!
7. Commit yourself to the right way , TRUST God and He will work out your proper desires!
8. Wait on God. He knows what to do and when to do it and His ways are PERFECT, yours are not!
9. Don't get angry!
10. Get out of God's way and let Him work this out. YOU do what is right!
So then...the Readers Digest version: Don't worry about it, STOP rehashing it in your mind, don't worry about it, trust in God, don't get angry, get out of God's way and let Him do His thing. All thru this Psalm we have the admonition to TRUST God and that my friends is the most difficult part. How do you trust someone you don't see or hear? ANSWER: You look at what He has done so far in YOUR life and the historic record of people in His Word! You may have answered prayer. Perhaps he intervened in previous situations. Guess what...in all probability He has intervened in your life in situations you don't even know about! Perhaps if He hadn't you would be either dead, on your deathbed with some horrible disease or maybe even in prison. You can ONLY trust someone because they have a PREVIOUS TRACK RECORD of being TRUSTWORTHY. Guess Who has the best? All thru this process, Satan is going to be working on your mind telling you how God isn't going to help you, its ok to help God out by you taking your own action, or "stand up for yourself and go toe-to-toe with the jerk". On the other hand, if you follow God's guidance as shown clearly in Psalm 37, YOU and maybe that other person will be an absolutely excellent example of God's grace and handiwork and THAT is what scares Satan. Satan wants you dead. Got that? The more Believers Satan can directly or indirectly kill, the more he likes it.
I can tell you from deep personal experience, trusting in God when so much you want to handle the problem is one of the hardest things I've had to do in this life. I battle myself every day wanting to "take control". If there was some simple way I could tell you how to trust fully in God, I would do that. When somebody tells you its easy, they haven't been in the trenches.
Please read then re-read and re-read Psalm 37. Very simply it tells us to stay focused on doing what's right and get out of God's way. He knows what He's doing and when to do it!
