5 Commands That Will Change Your Life – Psalm 37 ESV

In this Psalm, David considers the conflicts and complications of life and how the believer can navigate those. In his context, evildoers and enemies confronted him. He took comfort in the presence of God and placed his hope in the Lord to deliver him. While you might not have physical enemies assailing you as David did, these principles are just as life-changing for you and me.

1. His first admonition is to “Trust in the Lord.” (v. 3). He says that trusting in the Lord looks like doing good, dwelling in the place God puts you, and befriending faithfulness. Of course, trusting in the Lord seems like a simple assertion, but it is amazing how often we fall short of that. We “know” that we should trust in the Lord, but too often, we trust in ourselves, or our experience, finances, friend group etc. Trusting in Him with complete abandonment will start you down a journey of victory like no other.
2. Second, he tells us to “Delight in the Lord.” (v. 4). This is more than just dependence on Him but finding our greatest pleasure in Him. What consumes your thoughts and your time? This is what you delight in. Do you spend more time and energy on things of this world? You will never know true growth and victory until you are more delighted with Him than anything else. If you delight in Him, He will make His desires your desires, and He will conform you into His image instead of you being conformed into the world’s image. We tend to become like what we love. What are you becoming?
3. Third, he says to “Commit your way to the Lord.” (v. 5). Follow Him in obedience and commit to walk in His ways. When you are committed to Him, He is the one who fights your battles and makes your way straight. He brings forth your righteousness as the light.
4. Fourth, we are commanded to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (v. 7). This is often the hardest thing to do. We tend to want to speed up time, control the circumstances, or make things happen. God is sovereign and in control. The only true peace comes from surrendering control to Him and trusting His process in your life. We have often said, “Don’t just stand there, do something!” Yet, the most spiritual thing you can often do is, “Don’t just do something; stand there.” Stillness is a spiritual discipline that we must cultivate, and it leads to some of God’s greatest work in our lives.
5. Finally, David exhorts us to “Refrain from anger and stop fretting” (v. 8). Fretting and worry lead to frustration, which often results in anger. David says in this verse that fretting only leads to evil. We live in a world where many are gripped by worry, anxiety, and fretting. Jesus Himself commands us not to worry and lets us know that fretting doesn’t make things happen (See Matthew 6:34). Yet, we can’t help ourselves. It is the same thing that makes us impatient… this belief that somehow we have control over the circumstances of life, and if we worry and fret enough, maybe that will change things. While being proactive and hardworking are virtues that make life better, fretting doesn’t do anything but make our lives more miserable. Ceding all control to the Holy Spirit and staying in step with Him (not ahead or behind) is the only way to experience genuine peace.

The point of all these five principles is that the secret of abundant life doesn’t reside in us; it resides in Him. We only experience it as we experience Him and release control to the Lord. That is hard for control freaks (like me) to do, but these five principles make all the difference when practiced faithfully.