One of the most life-changing things I’ve learned since I’ve been teaching the Word of God is that God is always right! No matter what I think, how I feel or what my circumstances look like, His wisdom and His way of doing things are always the answers to my problems.
Psalm 37:3 (AMPC) contains some of the greatest instruction there is for having a great life. It says, “Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.”
All of us go through difficult times and experience pain and disappointment. In John 16:33b (NIV), the Lord even tells us that “in this world you will have trouble.” However, I believe Psalm 37:3 provides us with God’s prescription for every problem we face: Trust God and do good.
God’s Word is medicine that brings healing and restoration to our souls. Our doctor is Jesus, we are His patients and we can take His medicine—“Trust God” and “Do good”—as much as we need to. And refills are endless!
But there are side effects. When you trust God, you will experience peace, joy, stability, confidence and overall better health. When you do good, you’ll have extreme happiness and rewards in heaven!
Trusting God also brings freedom. Many times, things happen that we simply don’t understand. But that’s OK—we don’t have to figure everything out. We can trust God that He knows and will take care of everything.
Maybe someone has really hurt you, and what’s happening doesn’t seem fair at all. The Bible says that God will be your vindicator (Ps. 135:14). As you place your trust in Him, you open the door for Him to work in your situation and deal with the people who have mistreated you.
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Your faith and trust also allow God to take the wrong things that have happened and ultimately work them out for your benefit (Rom. 8:28).
The Bible teaches us that it’s not the things that happen to us that determine the quality of our lives—it’s how we choose to respond to them that makes all the difference. And trusting God is the key to making right choices that bring us the life He has planned for us.
We can choose to trust God. The truth is, God is the only one we can completely trust to take care of us and do what’s best for us at all times, in every situation.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, I trusted God, and He didn’t take care of me.” I understand how you feel, because I’ve gone through hard things and didn’t get what I wanted, when I thought I should get it, in the way I thought it should come.
However, what I failed to understand was that doing what we want and getting our way all the time isn’t what will make us happy. Being selfish and self-centered is actually a miserable way to live! God is faithful, and He promises to take care of us as we place our trust in Him. However, an important part of trusting Him is trusting in His will and timing.
It’s good for us to tell God what we want, but we also need to realize that He is smarter than we are. I’ve learned to pray, “God, if what I want is not what You want for me, then please don’t give it to me. I want to do Your will in this situation, and I’m trusting You to give me what You want for me.”
That’s why it’s so important to study and meditate on God’s Word. As we do, it renews our minds so we think the way He thinks. It also turns our will in God’s direction so we want what He wants for us.
Remember, trust requires unanswered questions. It requires us to fully lean on God, believing and trusting that He has our best interest in mind. The Lord has asked me this many times, and I believe He is also asking you: “Do you trust Me?”
The second part of the prescription is just as important: do good. One of the most powerful things you can do when you’re hurting is to reach out and help someone else. You not only sow seeds for your own breakthrough, but helping others releases tremendous joy. Nehemiah 8:10b says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
I know it’s not always easy to trust God and do good. But it’s the best option because it’s the only thing that will really work. I know it works because I was a mess, and learning how to trust God and obey His Word has literally changed my life.
Life in God is a journey, and we partner with Him by putting our trust in Him (1 Cor. 1:9). When we’re dealing with a difficult situation, He may also show us something we need to do that will help solve our problem.
I want to encourage you to trust God completely in every area of your life. Remember that He is always on your side and He is fighting for you as you go through the challenges in your life. He loves you and has your best interest at heart at all times.
No matter what you need or what your circumstances are, you can live with peace, joy, stability, confidence and overall better health if you will trust God and do good.
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For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-part teaching resource “Trust God and Do Good.” You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, “Enjoying Everyday Life,” by calling 800-727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including “Battlefield of the Mind” and “Overcoming Every Problem” (FaithWords). She hosts the “Enjoying Everyday Life” radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
