![]() ![]() While still a youth, he killed Goliath, Israel’s chief adversary, only to be hunted by King Saul. As a boy, he battled wild animals in the rugged hills outside of Bethlehem. We can worry, or we can step into each new day with confidence in the Lord’s power and promises.ĭavid’s life was complicated. Looking back at his experiences with the Lord, he could see that worrying never solved anything, but trusting the Lord solved everything. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT). But as Peter got to know the Lord better, he learned to trust Him with tomorrow. Peter often worried about what would happen. When anxiety got to him in the Garden of Gethsemane, he even cut off a soldier’s ear. At other times, he worried about Jesus paying His taxes, who would betray Jesus, and the suffering Jesus would endure. When the Lord called Peter out on the water, he worried about drowning. ![]() In the New Testament, one of the biggest worriers was Peter. He is already orchestrating tomorrow’s circumstances for our benefit. We can do nothing about tomorrow, so we wait for God-for His timing, guidance, and provision. Rest in the Lord… wait patiently for Him” (verses 3-5, 7). Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him…. How do we keep from worrying? This passage outlines five choices we can make to keep from worrying: “Trust in the Lord, and do good…. In the first eight verses, it tells us, “Do not fret,” three times. Of all 150 psalms, Psalm 37 is my favorite. They teach us how to live righteously, glorify God, revere His Word, pursue wisdom and forgiveness, plead for justice, and much more. The Bible has something to say about nearly every subject we can imagine, and the psalms are no exception. ![]() Learning to Trust God: Psalms of Instruction Can you imagine if we all showed up at church with the same enthusiasm we bring to a ballgame? Our exuberance for praising God should be no less than our praise for human activities. There are occasions for somber, contemplative praise, but verse one tells us there is a time to shout joyfully. Slip-ups will happen, but they should not occur because of a lack of effort on our part. Just as we offer the first tenth of our income as a tithe, God expects our praise to represent the firstfruits of our effort. But Psalm 33:3 commands us, “Sing to Him a new song.” Our worship should come from the freshness of our hearts and reflect our ongoing appreciation for God’s grace in our lives. Sometimes it’s tempting to settle into a routine and sing the same old songs. Today, the instruments have changed, but the principle remains-praise Him with what you’ve got! Creatively. Psalm 150 tells us to praise the Lord with trumpets, lutes, harps, timbrels, stringed instruments, flutes, and loud and clashing cymbals. In biblical times, musical instruments often accompanied worship. No matter your skill level, God will accept any song offered to Him out of love and devotion. This form of beauty comes from an “upright” heart (Psalm 111:1). When it comes to God, your voice is not nearly as important as your motivation. While not everyone is gifted to sing in the choir, praising God in worship is a matter of obedience. Serve the Lord…come before His presence…. Psalm 100 issues six commands regarding worship: “Make a joyful shout…. ![]() In just five verses, Psalm 100 teaches us why we should worship God, and it outlines six ways for us to praise Him. It teaches us to praise God for His greatness, goodness, and glory. When we cannot find words to express our fears, joys, longings, or sorrows, we often find them in the book of Psalms. Sometimes a psalm, hymn, or spiritual song will help us as no spoken word can. Even if we’re not musicians, we can internalize the great music of the Bible and of the Church. The Earliest Hymnbook: The Book of PsalmsĪll believers need songs in their hearts. ![]()
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