|
…We are
given to worry. We seem to worry and fret about so many things in
life. It does seem that there are many things in this world we should
worry about. Yet, Jesus told us, as Christians, not to worry about anything
in life. (Matthew 6:25-34) How do we do this? How is it possible
to live a worry-free life?
…The answer to this lies in having a very close walk with God. To be
like Enoch, “he walked with God.” Live your daily life as if walking
in the very shadow of the Lord, knowing and loving Him more and
more with each passing day.
…David, as an old man, wrote Psalm 37. This wisdom psalm is filled with
proverbial sayings. In this “song” David tells of God’s prescription for
worry. He tells of the essentials for walking closely with the Lord.
FOUR ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR YOU TO HAVE A CLOSE WALK
WITH GOD.
These will set you free from all worry!
…Note the setting of this Psalm: David was tempted to fret and worry about
evil men…
I.
You Must Trust
In The Lord. (v.3)
A. The
word “trust” is used the same way in both Testaments. It means to
place one’s complete confidence in. Trusting the Lord means to take Him at
His Word. To cling to His promises, to believe what He has said
without question,
…For, God cannot fail, go back on His Word and what He says, He will
do.
…”faith cures fretting, for sight views things only as they seem, while faith
has a clearer vision and sees things as they really are.” (Spurgeon)
B. Don’t
confuse trust with presumption…(ex) student who takes an exam without
studying…or one who puts their hand on a hot stove…such is not trust, but
presumption,
II. You
Must Delight Yourself In The Lord. (v.4)
A. To
“delight” in the Lord means to take great pleasure in Him, to enjoy
time in His presence through prayer and the study of His Word. One
tells, “the reason that many apparent Christians do not delight in God is that
they do not know Him very well, because they do not spend time
with Him.”
B. Our
delight should not be chiefly in His gifts, but in the Giver.
Certainly, we should delight in the bountiful blessings He pours out upon us
day by day. Yet, our delight must always be in Him.
C.
We are given a
promise here: if we delight in Him, in addition to our needs and
necessities, God will give us the desires of our hearts. Of course,
our desires must agree with His will…
…Boice
thinks this means God will give us Himself. It probably means both…
D. If
you are delighting in the Lord, you cannot desire anything that is at
enmity with God. (K&D)
III. You
Must Commit Your Way Unto The Lord. (v.5)
A. “Our
ways” is the path of our daily lives. David tells us to “commit” this
to the Lord. By this he means we are to “roll the whole burden of life
upon the Lord, to cast away anxiety and leave all with the God of all.”
(Spurgeon) Just like the farmer who cultivates and plants. He must
then leave the harvest to God, for Him to supply the sunshine and the rain.
What else can he do?
…This verse complements Proverbs 3:5-6, “trust the Lord…and He will direct
your paths.”
B. One
of the wonderful truths of the Christian life is that God does not leave
us to fend for ourselves in this world. He promises His helping, enabling
presence. He is always ready to meet our needs, to solve our problems,
to lift our burdens and to direct our lives to do the things He has set
before us. (The unsaved know nothing of this enabling…)
IV. You
Must Rest Before The Lord. (v. 7)
A. This
“resting” is to have a quiet mind which rests on God, and submits
to His will. It is a quiet waiting upon the Lord. (ex: two artists were
asked to portray their concepts of rest…)
B. The
trials, troubles, and tribulations of life may ROAR all around us, but we can
experience rest
1.
Hear about
Paul’s many troubles…2 Corinth 4:8-9. “We are troubled on every side…”
2.
Hebrews 4 tells
us that there is a “rest” for the people of God.
C.
God may not
follow our timetable, for in His infinite wisdom, He answers prayer in His own
time and way. We will often say: “Lord please do it now and in my way.”
But this is not resting.
…Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7 “be anxious for nothing, but in
everything with prayer…”
LESSONS FOR OUR LIVES:
1. Since
we are so puny, it would be natural for us to worry about all the troubles
found in life…
2.
However, God tells us not to worry about anything, rather live
close to Him everyday.
3.
God’s
prescription for worry: Trust, Delight, Commit and Rest in Him completely.
4.
Roll your burdens and troubles onto the Lord today!! He did not
make you to carry them.
5.
However, if you are not saved…you do need to worry; Hell is
yours…Be saved today!!!
|