Scripture
“Trust in the LORD and do good.”
PSALM 37:3a
Quotes/Color
“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”
Albus Dumbledore
“There are two types of people in the world… Fountains and Drains.”
Hoot Johnigan
“Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.”
Jalen Hurts
Context
Trust in the LORD… and? Do good? What does trusting in the LORD have to do with doing good? Are those 2 things even related?
I do my best to trust in the Lord – I pray to Him and I drink coffee out of my Jeremiah 29:11 mug once maybe twice a week.
I do my best to “do good” too – I don’t flip people off when I drive, instead, when someone cuts me off I take the much more compassionate, measured approach. I pull up next to them, completely expressionless, and stare into their soul for 10-15 seconds so they have to fully confront the wrong they’ve done to me.
Trust? Check. Doing good? Or at least not doing as bad as normal? Check. Unrelated, but checks on both.
Application
Let’s look at it this way… What if trusting in the LORD was related to doing good? Or even flip it on its head. What if your lack of trust in the LORD was related to not doing good? What do I mean by that?
Let’s answer that with a number of questions. Have you ever felt any of these instances in your heart?
Compromises in the way we speak
“God, I wish I could trust that your presence is enough. Or trust that you would bring me the right people in my life. But… I feel excluded/left out/unseen. So I am going to lie and embellish so that these people think I am cooler than I am. And I am going to say things and make jokes I know for a fact do not honor God so that I can feel some acceptance in this moment.”
Compromises in succeeding the wrong way
“God, I know your Word teaches, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35), and I want to trust that that is true. But… I really want to be in charge of everyone and have high status. So I think I am going to [steal] credit and be sure not to acknowledge good work that others are doing because that may detract from my success.”
Compromises in effort
“God I trust that you’ve given me the resources I need and that working hard to get a good grade on this test the right way would be the right thing to do. But… I am really tired. And all of my friends have the leaked key to the exam. So I am just going to get that, save time and effort and get a good grade the easy way.”
Compromises in character
“God, I know you call me to be above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2) and not make any provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14). And I trust that is probably a good way of doing things. But… it’s Friday so I am going to have a few too many drinks. Gamble away some play money on college lacrosse teams I’ve never heard of for the thrill. And watch my show that I love, but look away during the inappropriate parts.”
Compromises in who we associate with
“God, I wish I could trust that I don’t need someone else to feel complete and that you are more than enough. But… I am lonely. So I am going to settle being around this person/these people who do not value me.”
What if your trust in God was so deep that it allowed you to do the right thing (“do good”) in each situation?
Earlier in PSALM 37 it says this: “Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not ENVIOUS toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb…. BUT… TRUST IN THE LORD and DO GOOD.”
Look at wickedness around you. Do not envy it. And do not trust it. Instead, trust in the LORD. And He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:6). He will allow you to do good – even when it is not easy.
Something to Chew On:
- Think about the last selfish thing you did. Or more broadly the last thing you’ve done that you wish you could take back. Can you connect that action to a deeper distrust in God in that moment?
- Christians are called to “do good.” Are you making things better wherever you go? Where are you making things better, as we are called to do everywhere?
Great Value Proverb:
Take on the responsibility of making things better wherever you go. And release that burden by way of deep trust in God.