Shall we open our Bible to the book of Psalms, if you'll see? Chapter thirty-seven. Chapter thirty-seven in the book of Psalms. I'd like to begin reading at verse one and read only down to verse seven and into verse seven. The Spirit of God writing to his servant David without question of doubt long ago, and saying, Threat not thyself because of evildoers. Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass. And wither is the green herb. Trust in the Lord. and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him. And he shall bring it to pass, and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as a new name. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Stop the reading of that one particular place. The reason I have read these words have been upon my heart much this week, where the psalmist longer go, gives us the secret of tranquility, of being a tranquil soul, and resting whatever the circumstances might be, in contentment and peace, in the enjoyment of the Lord. May I please emphasize in the opening first two words, verses that we have here, the difficulties and the dangers and the troubles that we have in this present signal of the world. David had the longer goal, though it may have been centuries since he wrote these words, that I say frankly, there may be more trouble in the whole world today than there was in the days of David. I have never witnessed in my own experience of even ninety-nine years so much trouble and difficulty in the world today as it exists. Invading every avenue of life and every part of human experience, whether it be individual, whether it be family or whether it be corporate numbers. But may I point out what David writes by the Holy Spirit regarding the difficulties that pervade and the troubles that sin and iniquity has wrought in this world. He opens it upon my saying, Threat not. I think the word threat means don't get overheated over the conditions, but I will confess. They disturbed my heart and my mind many times when listening to the situations that pervades in this presence being today, everywhere, even in our midst today. But then this is remedy. When passing through these conditions, may I say frankly, I'm glad I'm a Christian. I'm glad that I took the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. For as David goes on to say, the remedy for fretting in verse three is trusting in the Lord. Let me read verse three. Trust in the Lord and do good. So shall thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be said. May I say, beloved, I want to emphasize the truth of what the Apostolomus is writing. His writing is a child of God, and I so suggest to you, look upon it if you were saying that God is speaking to you as one of his children, encouraging and admonishing, trust in me And as the psalmist has written, trust in the Lord. For may I say again, when you're fretting, you're not trusting. And beloved, many others have that difficulty. There are many things to be troubled over. Many of the things that were prayed for tonight. So much trouble and difficulty for the people for whom We may mention to the throne of grace, but in the whole world there's lots of trouble. But may I say, as a child of God, put your trust in the Lord. Now may I point out there's a verse you find in Psalm fifty-six and verse three. An unusual verse, a very appropriate to this one we're looking at. In chapter fifty-six and verse three of the Psalms, the writer says, What time I am afraid I will trust in the Lord. I think of the words of Isaiah in chapter twelve and verse four, I believe. He reversed the word. I will trust and not be afraid. Now my fellow believer, and I speak to you as a believer, in the midst of these troubles that surround us, are we trusting in the law for our protection and our safety? I think of the words, they have been told to be the middle words of the whole Bible, as we look at the Bible from chapter to chapter and verse to verse, in Psalm It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. And again, following in the next verse, it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in sin. Oh, my beloved, may I say, let us take the advice of the psalmist. In these days the trouble that the Spirit surrounds us on every hand. Trust in the Lord, be trusting him. Oh, we thank God for those lovely hymns that oftentimes we sing in encouragement for one another. Simply trusting every day, trusting through a stormy way, even when my faith is small. Trusting Jesus, that is all. And note in the verse, it is not only trusting, but to let it be accompanied by doing good. Manifesting in practical living. that you're trusting the Lord. And note the promise, so shalt thou dwell and abide in the land, and also verily the promise thou shalt be. Thine beloved, I'll tell you one thing. Let me repeat the words of the psalmist again in Psalm one eighteen. It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. May I quote the words of the Proverbs writer in Proverbs chapter three, verse five and six. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. Let me re-emphasize before going further and much more could be said. Well, let me re-emphasize the cure for threading is trusting in the Lord. Go further. There's more than trusting. We go to verse four. Delight thyself also in the Lord. And he shall give thee the designs of thine heart. May I add? Delighting it more than trusting. By finding in my joy. By finding in my all in all. May I suggest the type and the blessed example of the Lord Jesus himself. And you may read in the forty-eight psalm, as well as in the tenth chapter of the book of Hebrews, who alluded to his coming down to the earth. He said to the power of earth, I delight to do thy will, God. Now know thou verse. Delight thyself. In whom? May I lovingly and earnestly say, I don't know any better person to delight in than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I defy you to find a better person, or one equal to him. You cannot. Now note it says, not delight in the things of the Lord, but that should be true. delight I say, in the person of the Lord. Are you a Christian? May I ask the question? Have you made the Lord your delight? One well wrote a lovely hymn. I am satisfied with thee, Lord Jesus. I am blessed. Peace that passeth understanding on thy breath. No more trembling. No more weakness. Oh, what rest? Oh, what rest? My beloved, may I say this? Look to those very carefully. Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall watch. Give thee the desires of thine heart. Now let me emphasize, the desires of your heart will be to delight him and please him. As a believer, let me quote the words of Romans chapter twelve, one and two, as Paul wrote to the believers of his day and to us today, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice wholly and acceptable unto God, which is your original or intelligent service, and be not conformed to this world. But be ye transformed, that ye may prove what is that good, unacceptable, and perfect, will have gone. Now please let me re-emphasize. Delighting is more than trusted. I make him all my delight. Again, let me repeat. Your desires will be according to his desires. They will not be selfish for yourself. But how can I please him? And may God help us to do delight. Let me repeat again the growth that's revealed here. The increasing responsibility as well as privilege. Instead of training, trust. and more than trusting, delighting. Now go to verse five. Commit thy way unto the Lord, he said. Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass, and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday. Now notice another advancing responsibility. Commit thy way. The whole path of life And all that is before you, unto whom? Did you ever notice, and you may have it in your Bible, I know it's in one of my Bibles. There's a marginal reference, if you have a marginal reference in your Bible. You'll find the Hebrew word implies, roll thy way upon the Lord. My beloved, let me tell you, how privileged we can be to roll every bit of our path to the guidance of God and our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever the future may be, for me I give you the thought. If you're delaying in him, you'll let him lead you all the way. Well, did the poet write the lovely hymn? All the way, my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt his tender mercy? Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, hereby grace, thy word to know, for I know what air befalls me. Jesus leads me all the way. Oh, my beloved, please let me say this. May I ask of the question, such my own heart? Is my path holy in the Lord's will? Is it all rolled upon him? For notice what he will do. Oh, he'll make possible that manifestation of your practical righteousness. If you trust also fully in him, in that full committal, he'll bring it to pass and bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment or justice as the noon day. May I humbly say, I'm sure what this arm is implying, if you fast through this scene will become even brighter for you. when you stop fretting, when you begin trusting, when you go on delighting, and then when you commit your whole power and leave it in his blessed hands. But then he brings us to the final verse we have in verse seven we want to emphasize. We mention the whole section suggests the wonderful secret of tranquility. The soul is not trouble. The heart is not disturbed. Is it possible? Well, know what he says, verse seven. Rest in the Lord. One wrote a lovely hymn I've been joined. Jesus, I am resting in the joy of what thou art. My beloved, let me put it in this expression. If it means more, if it means more to me than anything else than anyone else in the whole world, I have. Tranquility apart, I can rest. It's all right, Rose. Let me give you an illustration I read recently this week. It was a very sad occasion. Some of you may not know of Heather, have heard, as I did years ago. of two young missionaries in China in the days of communistic trouble in the whole land of China. And missionaries were driven out and many were killed. And there was a young missionary couple and they were young. Just a young married couple with one baby child. John and Betty Stan. taken prisoners by the communists in that terrible communistic revolution in China years ago. Going way back I think in the nineteen thirties or early nineteen forties. More than fifty years ago. And with their child being carried in their arms and in that affliction that they were opposed by, and armed with, by the Communists, they had to walk fourteen miles, practically barefooted, wearing their shoes out, or wearing their socks out, and tried to carry the baby. And then at the arrival of this particular destination, they had to kneel on the ground to be executed. Young Christians that both of them devoted to the service of the Lord and to the salvation of those Chinese communists. The story of how God gave them victory. I say again, how would you feel? How would I feel? To have my head cut off with a sword as they did. And the baby left with no one to care for him. So I'm bound to die and perish. But the story tells out of both these young Christians. God gave them peace. To submen. They have tranquility as well. where they came only from the Lord. Beloved, let me say in closing, we go through a troubled world. So if I want you to note the words, I want to follow through with that seventh verse. Rest in the Lord and what? Wait patiently for him. You know, I'm glad he's coming. Go back to verse two. For in verse two, God says the wicked shall be soon cut off, cut down like the grass, and wither like the herds. Like the green one. My beloved, may I say, please, may I say, and I do this lovingly and earnestly, the world is getting nearer to the day of judgment. But it's nearer to the coming of the Lord. For the Christian. Praise the Lord. I know he's coming. And praise the Lord. I can say. Oh I think of the words of Revelation chapter twenty two. Where the Lord Jesus said three times in that last chapter of the Bible. Behold I come quickly. Behold I come quickly. And at the last. Surely I come quickly. And if I remember the words. that John wrote the Spirit and the Bride, say come, and let him that hear it, say come. My beloved, I will say this, once you fast, when the Lord comes, there will be no more sickness, there will no more pain, no more death, no more solemn, no more crying, the former sin. Will it pass through? And he asked the question in closing. Does it not pay? Did you want the psalmist to exhaust me here? Stop spreading. Do more trusting. More delighting. More committing. To have that peace and tranquility upon. Resting in the Lord. and with patiently for him. Patiently. Patiently. I confess, I'm sure you will too. One difficulty is to be patient for him. But I think of the words of first Thessalonians or second Thessalonians chapter three and verse five. The Lord directs your hearts into the love of Christ. and into the patient waiting. Poor Christ. Some have translated it. The Lord direct your heart into the love of God and the patience of Christ. May I say this? I do this to my own heart. John, you've waited eighty-four years for him to come. And he hasn't come yet. And I say every day, Lord Jesus, come and say, come quickly. But it's coming. And when he comes, all will be over. But oh, may God help me. Shall he come to do what the psalmist said? No. Against all the troubles he has. Stop fretting. Trust. Delight. Roll thy way on the Lord. and reach that place where the soul is at rest. It's all I know. Like John and Betty Stan, they say their testimony as it was told by others. They bowed their heads in peace to the executed and smiled knowing where they were going. You know, I'm glad I'm saved. Praise God. Look. I don't know what to think about dying, but I want to... Did you ever know that everybody dies with heart trauma? Sure. The heart stops beating. No matter what kind of disease they are. But where does the believer go? To be with Christ, which is Father. Until then, may God help you and me. to go better for his glory through this world, shall we pray. Our beloved and blessed Father, it is amazing when we find in thy precious words, even in the days of thy dear servant David. And we thank thee for his ministry. In this book of the Psalms, as well as in other parts of thy word, And we thank thee for the ministry of all thy dear servants in this precious book. But most of all, we thank thee for the beloved person and the work that our Lord Jesus Christ is and has done for us. Blessed Lord. We say with thy servant David again, another verse that he wrote. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way, a way of pain or grief in me, and lead me in the way of Alaska. Oh, blessed Lord, we find this. Well, did the Lord Jesus say, when he was here on the earth, Men, there were very few on them. He said, Enter the straight gate, for narrow is the way that leadeth unto life. And he added, Few there are three that findeth. And beloved Lord in the world today, there are fewer upon them on the narrow road to the eternal life. And there are many on the broad road that leads to destruction. For the Lord Jesus added, for broad is the way. And wide is the gate that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in there. Please, blessed Lord, search our hearts. Help us indeed to walk the narrow way with thee and thee alone for thine honor and glory. Asking it in the name of our Lord Jesus, and for our blessing. Amen. Well, I didn't say the world was going to get better, but I did say it'll be a lot better when the Lord Jesus comes.