Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37:3-4
Handling opposition is difficult, especially if the opposition is from those you love. Jesus faced opposition continually, even from those in His own family who said, “He’s out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). In addition, Jesus also faced opposition from the teachers of the Law who remarked, “He’s possessed by Satan” (v. 22).
David gave the best prescription for handling opposition. First, he said to trust in the Lord. Never believe that a problem is yours. Just relax as a baby would in the arms of its mother.
Second, David said to delight in the Lord. Keep your focus on the delightful relationship between you and your God. Never let the devil steal your joy and the sense that all is well.
Third, he said to “commit everything you do to the Lord” (Psalm 37:5). Commit means “to roll.” Just shift the weight of opposition from your shoulders onto the shoulders of God. He is more than able to carry it.
Finally, David said in verse 7 of Psalm 37 to “be still.” How quickly we want to take matters into our own hands and begin to “fight fire with fire”! We’ve got to learn, however, to discipline ourselves to wait on the Lord to fight the battle for us.
Trust, delight, commit, and be still, and in the end you will see that the battle belongs to the Lord.
