Key Chapter Psalms 37: 3

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy (/ befriend / feed) safe pasture.

- So what does it means to trust in the Lord?

The word "trust" appears 134 times in the King James Version. In Hebrew there are several different words behind a simple word in English. The word "trust" is an abstract but Hebrew is a concrete oriented language where each word is associated with something that can be sensed by one or more of the five senses. Each of these Hebrew words has their own nuance of meaning that can help in interpreting the passages they are found in.


1. [NKJV]
Ps 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust
This word contains the meaning of "leaning onto someone or something". Imagine if you are on a hike with a group and you sprain your ankle, you need to lean on one of your companions to help you out of the wilderness right? God is the one that we lean on when things get tough. We can also lean on our friends and family for support as well.

2. [NKJV]
Ps 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
This word has the more concrete meaning of "to cling". There is this melon (forgot the name) that clings to the vine. Even though the melon is huge, just as ‘all’ our problems seem to be and the vine is very small, yet it can sustain its weight. We may not see God but His is our strength, the one who sustain / hold everything together just as the vine holds the melon.

3. [NKJV]
Isa 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

This word is usually translated as hope. But it makes me wonder if something will happen and "hope" it does, or the other hand to "know" that something will happen in the future. We do not hope that God will protect us, we "know" he will. Amen?
In the verse above, the image of holding onto God's arm for support can be image in mind easily. But the word arm (zeroah) is Hebraic substitution for “strength". This passage is saying that the people will know that God's strength will save them.

There I gave three form of Trust.
- Leaning
- Clinging
- Knowing

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

So what is the do-good means?


Hebrews 13:16 -
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

So what is pleasing to the Lord?

Psalms 104:34 –
May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord .

Col 1:10 –
So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

After reading those verse what are the things that comes to your mind that pleases the Lord?
Our God pleases with our meditation in Him with hearts that rejoices in Him and bearing fruits in everything we do and to increasing in the knowledge of Him.

And what is the next line?

Dwell in the land and enjoy (/ befriend / feed) safe pasture.

So what is the definition of ‘dwell’ that comes into your mind?

‘To exist in a given place or state’ is the best definition, not to live quietly in one corner but to exist in the place! To be make Known, or in other words to make an impact in that place.

I like the ESV
Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

And befriend faithfulness
Befriend = been or taken as friend to faithfulness. Wow is it not beautiful?
To summaries:

Psalms 37: 3
Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

To Lean, Cling, Know in the LORD, and to meditate in Him with hearts that rejoices in and bearing fruits in everything we do and to increasing in the knowledge of Him.
To EXIST by making an impact in this consecration and to become friend with faithfulness, having faith in Him and each other in this period. Amen…

Refernce:
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/emagazine/010.html