Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:3-6, NIV)
David Cook, Ph.D., a Sports, and Performance Psychologist, helps elite athletes and high-level executives elevate their performance. He is known for two things within the golf world: the author of Seven Days in Utopia and his patented model of concentration.
Cook’s model is often shortened to See It – Feel It – Trust It. These three phrases gradually funnel our concentration from a broad to a narrow focus. The sequence is designed to grow a golfer’s confidence, increasing the successful skill execution of the golf shot. This model has great potential! Though we know golf is difficult, this model is immensely helpful.
See It –visualize the shot desired.
Feel It –feel the movement of the swing for the desired shot.
Trust It –commit to what has been seen and felt and execute the swing.
In our passage today, the Psalmist offers a model to help guide us in our spiritual journeys as we live in this broken world. Trust – Delight – Commit.
Trust in the LORD, and do good. Trust is actively placing our confidence in our covenant relationship with God and his Truth. The good we do flows from his unbreakable love, and the motive is rooted in bringing glory to God and pointing people to Jesus. We dwell in God’s land of security and safety through ongoing wholehearted engagement with him and his character.
Take delight in the LORD. Seeking our joy in God’s friendship and love is a privilege, not a duty. As we engage with God with our mind (thoughts), our body (emotions), and our soul (spirit), our desires will shift toward the good things which God wants to give. God spoke through the prophet Micah, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).”
Commit your way to the LORD. The Hebrew idea is “…rolling a heavy burden from ourselves on another, or laying it upon him, so that he may bear it (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible).” God wants to carry our burdens. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).” Walk with intention and purpose today and then leave the results to God.
Following the Psalmist’s model of concentration to trust, take delight, and commit our way in the LORD lends to a life founded on justice, love, and humility. A life of good repute is built on such a foundation and shines as bright as the sun at noonday.
Prayer: God, you alone are worthy of our attention and praise. Help us to trust in you, take delight in you and your words, and to commit our way to you today.