Have you ever wondered why the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous seem to suffer?  No one can control what happens to them, but we do control how we respond to our trials and tribulations.  Psalm 37, written by David, gives us a divine prescription on how we are to handle ourselves, especially when we look at the life of a believer versus the life of the wicked.  The grass might look like it is greener on the other side, but what we must remember is this is not Heaven.  We are heavenly beings having a spiritual experience and our reward is living in eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Earth is the closest the wicked will ever get to Heaven.  They will spend eternity in a lost state separated from God. God has given us instructions on how to live successfully while on this earth in Psalm 37.

Believers are to:

1) Trust in the Lord

2) Delight ourselves in the Lord

3) Commit our way to the Lord

4) Be still before the Lord

5) Do not fret

6) Do not become an angry person

Trusting God means we are submitted to obeying God and doing His will in all things and at all times.  Delighting ourselves in the Lord means that we are doing what pleases God, dying to ourselves.  Commiting our way to the Lord is daily putting ourselves, everyone we love and our businesses into God’s hands so He can order our steps.  It’s also important to be still in the presence of God; waiting on the Lord and not try to get ahead of God.  God does not want us to fret or become hot and bothered or frustrated because we are not where we want to be at this very moment. Last but not least, we are not to become an angry person or harbor bitterness in our hearts over anyone or any situation. Release people to God and let go of the pain they brought into your life.

We all know that it is better to be saved by the blood of Jesus than to live this life without knowing Him.  This Psalm tells us that evil men will be cut off but those who wait on the Lord will inherit the earth.  That is one of the amazing promises that we have and we must hold onto it.  We must purpose in our hearts that we are going to take God’s prescription every day just like we take a prescription from our doctor if we want to get well.  Your doctor wants to take good care of you so that you live a long time.  He will not do anything to harm you.  How much more is God’s love for you when He knew you before you were born.  He wants you to have life and life more abundantly not just here on this earth, but for all eternity and God’s prescription will never expire.  It was good enough for David, and it will still be good for your children’s children.

One word from God will change your life forever.  However, you must believe what God has told you and most importantly, you will have to fight for its manifestation.  Satan will always challenge the word God has given to you, but the truth of the matter is he can’t change the word.  You must fight the good fight of faith every day, and one way to do this is to not allow anger, jealousy or a critical spirit into your life.

In this life you will have trouble.  In this life you will have people disappoint you, lie about you and prove to be unfaithful especially when you need them the most.  God is the only one who can change another person and you must release people who hurt you to the Lord.  Don’t let negative feelings hinder you from receiving all that God has for you.  Jesus came to this world to give you life and life more abundantly and an abundant life can be yours if you let the Holy Spirit control everything you do.

After you receive a word from God, don’t just write it down and put it away in your dresser drawer.  Speak over that word; prophecy over that word and declare that God’s word will come to pass in your life.  God’s word, whether it is His written word, the Bible, or a rhema word given personally to you, guard it in your heart and always believe it will come in God’s timing.

One word from God changes everything.  You don’t need 100 words because God’s word brings life just as it did in the beginning when He created the heavens and the earth.  God’s word is powerful and He is not man that he can lie.  God is God and He is so good at it.  You must live your life walking by faith and not by sight and you will see the goodness of the Lord upon your life.

This question was first asked of by the Lord after telling Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in the following year.  What made this question so meaningful was the fact that Abraham was 99 years old and his wife, Sarah was 90 years old.  Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when told this news because it was humanly impossible for this to happen.  But the Lord had to remind them that there is nothing God can’t do, and because God is a promise-keeper, one year later Isaac was born just as had been promised.

That is a vital question for every Believer to ask themselves today.  If you have yet to see a promise that God made to you maybe last year or five, ten years ago, do you still have faith that it will come to pass?  God has a way of doing things so that no one else can take the glory for it.  This is what He did with Abraham and Sarah and it is the same with us today.  How could anyone look at the baby Isaac without accepting the fact that Isaac was a miracle.  Abraham and Sarah were well beyond the child bearing years but the truth is there is nothing too hard for the Lord!

You must walk in faith and continue to believe in the promises of God because they will come to pass – they must because God is God and if He said it, it will happen.  Have no doubt about it.  It’s never too late with God.  Believers must accept the fact that God’s timing is different than their own, but in due season God will show you His faithfulness and He will show you that He will do exceedingly more than what you have asked for or even thought of.

The 12th chapter of Acts tells the story of Peter being surrounded by guards in a prison and an angel of the Lord came to him, woke him up and led him out of the prison and into the street.  This all happened the night before King Herod was planning on putting him to death.  Peter, who was asleep at the time, thought that all this was a dream or a vision.  The people in the church had spent the night praying for him and when Peter arrives at the house where they all were, the young girl who first saw him is so excited that she does not open the door but goes back and tells the others that Peter was at the door.  Peter had to keep knocking because the people were so surprised that they could not believe what they were hearing.  The people thought that it was Peter’s ghost but in reality God had delivered Peter from death just in the knick of time.

Have you ever prayed for something and when God answered your prayer you were in a state of shock?  There is nothing too dificult for God and this story tells us that God does hear and answers prayer.  This story also tells us that God’s timing is all up to Him.  Who can explain why God does what He does when He does?  No one can!  What we do know is that God is faithful and He will answer your prayers all in His timing.  Another certainty is that no situation is ever without hope.  It might look bad to us but nothing is impossible for God.  Peter was chained between guards but his circumstances did not prevent God from delivering him.  God heard the prayers of those who loved and cared for Peter and He intervened.

God is good at surprising His children.  You never know when or how He will intervene in your situation but you can be sure that He will.  Learn from this story that God does care about you, about those you care about and the situations that cause you concern, and if we take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there, He will surprise you.  God will show you that it is never too late and that He can do all things.  After all, He created the world and everyone in it.  Pray about everything and when your answer comes, don’t be surprised!