Four Principles for Trusting and Delighting in God

Devotional

Day 1: Trust in the Lord and Do Good

Trusting in God liberates us from anxiety and worry, allowing us to focus on doing good for others. This principle is deeply rooted in the gospel, which calls us to trust in God's provision and faithfulness. When we trust in God, we are set free to serve others and fulfill the good works He has prepared for us. Trusting in God means believing that He is in control and that His plans for us are good, even when we face challenges and uncertainties. It is a call to shift our focus from our own concerns to the needs of others, knowing that God will take care of us.

When we trust in the Lord, we can let go of our anxieties and worries. This freedom allows us to be more present and attentive to the needs of those around us. By doing good, we reflect God's love and faithfulness to others, becoming a living testimony of His grace. Trusting in God is not a passive act but an active choice to rely on His strength and guidance in every aspect of our lives. [49:44]

Psalm 37:3-4 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Reflection: Think of a specific worry or anxiety you are currently facing. How can you shift your focus from this concern to doing good for someone else today?

Day 2: Take Delight in the Lord

To truly delight in God, we must experience Him firsthand. The psalmist invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." When we do this, we find true joy and satisfaction in Him, which leads us to glorify Him in all that we do. Experiencing God's goodness personally transforms our relationship with Him from duty to delight. It is not enough to know about God intellectually; we must encounter His presence and love in our daily lives.

Delighting in the Lord means finding our deepest joy and satisfaction in Him. It involves spending time in His presence, meditating on His Word, and recognizing His goodness in our lives. When we delight in God, our hearts are filled with gratitude and praise, and we are motivated to live in a way that honors Him. This joy is not dependent on our circumstances but is rooted in the unchanging character of God. [01:02:52]

Psalm 34:8 (ESV): "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally experience God's goodness today? Consider setting aside time for prayer, worship, or reading Scripture.

Day 3: Commit Your Way to the Lord

Committing our way to the Lord means entrusting our plans, purposes, and daily lives to God. It is about aligning our desires with His will and acknowledging that everything we have is from God and for God. By committing our ways to Him, we recognize that His plans are far greater than our own and that He is in control. This commitment involves surrendering our own ambitions and seeking to fulfill God's purposes in our lives.

When we commit our way to the Lord, we are acknowledging that He is the ultimate authority over our lives. This act of surrender requires humility and trust, as we let go of our own plans and embrace God's will. It is a daily decision to seek His guidance and to live in obedience to His Word. By doing so, we experience the peace and assurance that comes from knowing that God is in control and that His plans for us are good. [01:09:09]

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV): "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to commit your plans to the Lord? How can you seek His guidance and align your desires with His will today?

Day 4: Be Still Before the Lord and Wait Patiently for Him

In our fast-paced, instant-gratification culture, waiting can be incredibly challenging. However, God's timing is perfect. He is never late, and His plans are always for our good. When we face struggles and challenges, we must learn to wait on God, trusting that He is working everything together for our good. Being still before the Lord involves quieting our hearts and minds, and trusting in His sovereignty and timing.

Waiting on God requires patience and faith. It means trusting that His plans are better than our own and that He knows what is best for us. In times of waiting, we are called to be still and to rest in His presence, knowing that He is at work even when we cannot see it. This posture of trust and surrender allows us to experience God's peace and to grow in our faith. [01:13:38]

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are struggling to wait on God's timing. How can you practice being still and trusting in His perfect timing today?

Day 5: God's Perfect Timing

Trusting in God's perfect timing is crucial, especially when our plans do not align with His. We must break free from the culture of instant gratification and learn to wait on God's timing. His plans are always for our good, and He is never late. Trusting in His timing brings peace and assurance that He is in control. This trust requires us to let go of our own timelines and to embrace God's sovereign plan for our lives.

God's timing is often different from our own, but it is always perfect. When we trust in His timing, we are acknowledging that He knows what is best for us and that His plans are for our ultimate good. This trust allows us to rest in His promises and to have confidence that He is at work in our lives. By waiting on God's timing, we experience His peace and are able to see His faithfulness in new and profound ways. [01:15:29]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when God's timing was different from your own but ultimately proved to be perfect. How can this past experience help you trust in His timing for your current situation?

Sermon Summary

Today, I want to share a message that revolves around four fundamental life principles that can guide and center our journey. These principles are rooted in Psalm 37:3-7, and they are: Trust in the Lord and do good, take delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, and be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

We began by reflecting on a personal experience I had recently. I shared about a health scare that led me to undergo a heart procedure. Despite living an active lifestyle and having good health metrics, I discovered significant blockages in my arteries. This experience underscored the importance of not ignoring the signs and trusting in God's provision and timing. It was a reminder that life is fragile and that we must place our trust in God, who is our ultimate healer and protector.

The first principle we discussed is to "Trust in the Lord and do good." Trusting in God liberates us from anxiety and worry. It allows us to focus on doing good for others rather than being consumed by our own concerns. This principle is deeply rooted in the gospel, which calls us to trust in God's provision and faithfulness. Trusting in God sets us free to serve others and fulfill the good works He has prepared for us.

Next, we explored the idea of taking delight in the Lord. To truly delight in God, we must experience Him firsthand. Just as we cannot fully appreciate the taste of a ribeye steak by merely watching a video, we cannot delight in God without experiencing His goodness personally. The psalmist invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." When we do this, we find true joy and satisfaction in Him, which leads us to glorify Him in all that we do.

The third principle is to commit our way to the Lord. This means entrusting our plans, purposes, and daily lives to God. It is not about asking God to bless our selfish or harmful plans but aligning our desires with His will. Life is a test, a trust, and a temporary assignment. Everything we have is from God and for God. By committing our ways to Him, we acknowledge that He is in control and that His plans are far greater than our own.

Finally, we discussed the importance of being still before the Lord and waiting patiently for Him. In our fast-paced, instant-gratification culture, waiting can be incredibly challenging. However, God's timing is perfect. He is never late, and His plans are always for our good. When we face struggles and challenges, we must learn to wait on God, trusting that He is working everything together for our good.

As we concluded, we reflected on the significance of these principles in our daily lives. Whether we are celebrating milestones like graduations or facing unexpected challenges, these principles can guide us and keep us centered on God's will. We prayed for God's continued guidance and blessing, asking Him to help us trust, delight, commit, and wait on Him in all aspects of our lives.

###

Key Takeaways

1. paced, instant-gratification culture, waiting can be incredibly challenging. However, God's timing is perfect. He is never late, and His plans are always for our good. When we face struggles and challenges, we must learn to wait on God, trusting that He is working everything together for our good. [01:13:38]
5. God's Perfect Timing: Trusting in God's perfect timing is crucial, especially when our plans do not align with His. We must break free from the culture of instant gratification and learn to wait on God's timing. His plans are always for our good, and He is never late. Trusting in His timing brings peace and assurance that He is in control.

### [73:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:47] - Announcements and Fellowship
[35:25] - Graduation Sunday
[39:21] - Memorial Day Reflection
[41:32] - Personal Health Testimony
[46:10] - Introduction to Psalm 37
[49:44] - Trust in the Lord and Do Good
[51:59] - Trust and Liberation from Worry
[54:22] - Worry Slanders God's Promises
[56:45] - Being a Blessing to Others
[59:04] - Personal Hospital Experience
[60:49] - The Hope of the Gospel
[62:52] - Take Delight in the Lord
[64:56] - C.S. Lewis on Joy and Glory
[67:03] - Experiencing God's Goodness
[69:09] - Commit Your Way to the Lord
[71:19] - Dream Big for God's Kingdom
[73:38] - Be Still and Wait Patiently
[75:29] - Trusting God's Perfect Timing
[77:25] - The Challenge of Instant Gratification
[79:29] - Four Life Principles Recap
[81:26] - Prayer and Reflection
[88:05] - Closing Worship and Blessing
[89:10] - Final Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What are the four life principles mentioned in Psalm 37:3-7? How do they relate to each other?
According to the sermon, what personal experience did the pastor share to illustrate the importance of trusting in God? ([41:32])
How does the pastor describe the connection between trusting in God and doing good for others? ([54:22])
What analogy does the pastor use to explain the concept of delighting in the Lord? ([01:02:52])

Interpretation Questions

Why does the pastor emphasize the importance of experiencing God's goodness firsthand to truly delight in Him? How does this change our relationship with God? ([01:02:52])
How does committing our way to the Lord reflect our trust in His plans over our own? What does this look like in practical terms? ([01:09:09])
In what ways does the pastor suggest that waiting patiently for the Lord is counter-cultural in today's instant-gratification society? ([01:17:25])
How does the pastor's personal health testimony serve as a reminder of the fragility of life and the need to trust in God's provision and timing? ([41:32])

Application Questions

Reflect on a recent situation where you struggled with anxiety or worry. How might trusting in the Lord have changed your response? ([49:44])
Think of a time when you experienced God's goodness firsthand. How did that experience deepen your delight in Him? How can you seek more of these experiences? ([01:02:52])
What are some specific plans or desires you need to commit to the Lord? How can you align these with His will rather than your own? ([01:09:09])
Identify an area in your life where you find it challenging to wait patiently for God's timing. What steps can you take to cultivate patience and trust in His perfect timing? ([01:17:25])
The pastor mentioned that trusting in God sets us free to do good for others. What are some practical ways you can serve others in your community this week? ([54:22])
How can you break free from the culture of instant gratification in your daily life? What practices can you adopt to help you wait on God's timing? ([01:17:25])
Reflect on the pastor's health scare and the importance of not ignoring signs. How can you be more attentive to God's guidance and promptings in your own life? ([41:32])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "One of the things I think this generation, our generation, really needs to learn is to be still and wait on God. Why? God is never late. Rarely early, he's always exactly right on time. His time. It may not be your time, but he's always on time on his time." [01:13:38](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "Trust in God's perfect timing. And so when you face struggles, when you face trials, when you face difficulties, when you face circumstances where things are not going according to what you want and what you plan, once again, trust. Wait patiently. And we've got to break ourselves from this Amazon culture." [01:15:29](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "Sociologists have pointed out that learning delayed gratification is one of the core components, traits to success in life. Now in the midst of challenges and difficulties, and yes, even in the midst of a crisis, we have to wait. We have to wait. We have to wait. We have to wait." [01:17:25](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "Worry slanders every promise of God. Because worrying is Satan tempting us not to trust in God's goodness and faithfulness for us. Trust. And I want you to see the connection between these two commands here. Trust in the Lord, and then what? Do good. It is when we trust in God, we're actually able to do good." [54:22](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will do this. Now, what this is not promising, it's not promising if your way, if your plan is to go hurt somebody, if your way and plan is to be shady or crooked and to do harm, that's not what God, God's not saying he's going to do this in your life. So let's just make that abundantly clear." [01:09:09](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "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. Now the context of this is the psalmist is experiencing and seeing wickedness prosper. There's that desire to just step right in and complain. Or when things are not going well for your life, or when you're experiencing challenges and difficulties, when you're experiencing unforeseen struggles." [01:13:38](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Once again, it's right there. Straight scripture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Actually, like the older translation, delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires." [01:02:52](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "Trust in the Lord and do good. Once again, what would it look like if the church was known for doing good? Once again, not at the absence or the expense of truth, but truth and grace. Be known for doing good. To take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your ways to the Lord and he will do it. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." [01:19:29]( | | )

5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your path straight. That's the heart of the gospel. What am I trusting in? Who am I trusting in? Am I trusting in myself? Am I trusting in my bank account, in my prestige, in my job, in my own quote-unquote worth, in my family, in my relationships?" [49:44](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?