Rooted - Trust
Scripture tells us not to worry, and yet if most of us are honest, fretting comes far more naturally than we would like to admit. Add to this propensity, some difficult life circumstances, relational strife, or unanswered questions and we can find our minds being consumed with “What-ifs”, “When-Wills” or “How longs”. Try as we might to push these questions, which are born in worry, out of our mind, they still seem to creep back in. And yet, we are commanded in Scripture, “Do not worry”. How do we get there?
May the meditation on Psalm 37 and the exploration prompts which follows be used by the Holy Spirit to grow your capacity to let go of worry and embrace trust.
Meditation - Take a few moments to slowly read the following passages over several times. Let each reading help focus your heart and mind on the word or thought which stands out to you. Ask yourself: What might the Holy Spirit desire to speak to me from this passage and how does my heart react to what I hear?
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
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.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. - Psalm 37
Exploration - Take the balance of the hour to consider the following prompts, with God in prayer. Do not rush. Allow the space necessary to listen for the still small voice of God. Do not feel like you have to complete every prompt. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to the places He would desire to explore with you. Talk to him about what you discover as you follow Him into these places.
Where are you being invited to trust the Lord? What is your heart’s response to this invitation? What makes it difficult to move into a posture of trust? What good would you be able to engage in if you could fully give yourself to trusting God?
What does it look like for you to delight in the Lord? How often does your heart engage in the practice of delighting in Him? What gets in the way of exercising delight in who He is? What are the desires of your heart? Do you trust these are important to God?
Where are you being invited to commit your way to the Lord? Are you willing?
What has been your experience of being still before the Lord and waiting patiently on Him? What enables your heart to take this posture? How does this connect to your capacity to trust? What makes it difficult to be still and wait? Is there any place in your life where you are being invited to be still and wait? How do you feel about this?
What emotions have been most present in your heart recently? Have anger and wrath been present? If so, what circumstance has led to these feelings? What would it take for you to be able to acknowledge how you feel about this circumstance to God, and to be able to refrain from allowing the anger and wrath you feel from driving the way you respond to the situation? What would you need from God for this to be a reality?
Ending Your Time – Take a few moments to think about how you could actively delight in the Lord, regardless of your current circumstances. Now, take a few minutes to simply delight in Him. At the end of your time, notice what effect engaging in delight has on the temptation to fret and worry. Close with a few moments of silence, listening for what God may wish to speak to you.
