Good Morning Pastor!
The Psalmist writes, “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (-Ps 37:3-4 3 NIV). There are five words here that are critical in grasping this verse and using it to sustain our ministries; trust, dwell, enjoy, delight and desires.
Most pastors have trusted God to accept the call of ministry to a church. That’s why it is such a rude awakening when trouble comes and we get wounded. It is then often ask, “How could God have called me and my family here to be treated this way and suffer like this. We must then understand that trust here is linked to doing good. In other words, keep on going and keep doing the good that God has called you to do.
When we learn how to keep on “keepin’ on,” we lean how to dwell. Dwelling is living our ministry, living what God would have us be and do. This would constitute living and breathing the ministry.
Once we learn how to live and breathe our ministries we make them our friend and we can enjoy the security of knowing that we are serving God in the right place, a safe pasture.
It is then and only then that we can delight ourselves in the Lord. When we trust in the Lord for His calling, doing good, dwelling in the life God has given us and begin to enjoy the safety of the ministry He has given us we will delight ourselves in the Lord. We will embrace Him in ways we never realized possible as He touches our lives and gives us new visions of possibilities.
Then our desires will be His desires and He will give them to us to fulfill the ministry and our lives.
The road from trust to desires can be long and rugged. One thing that I found that was helpful to me when things were in turmoil in the church and the “well intentioned dragons” rose up was to remember that the people who I am struggling with at this time are really struggling with God. I may feel like I am their enemy but usually it is a matter of the spiritual warfare that takes place within individuals as God calls them to grow and take new steps with Him.
Today’s not the day to look back at where you’ve been but to look forward to where God is leading you and your church!
Striving To Do God’s Will,
Lyn Sahr
Prov. 3:13
