The psalms speak a lot about the wicked of the world and the tension we have as Christians, in watching them seemingly prosper. David certainly had periods in his life when his faith wavered a bit, as he, like us, let his feelings override his intellect. Psalm 37 is another psalm that speaks to how we are to handle a life, where those who reject God, seem to do just fine. I am sure the devil likes to point this out to us, in the hopes that we will in turn, stop serving God and go the path of the wicked.
David begins this psalm with
a good suggestion.
Psalm
37:1
Fret not yourself because of
evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
Why should we not fret over
them?
Psalm
37:2
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
We need to trust that God
knows what He is doing. If the wicked are prospering, then it is because God is
allowing them to. He has good reason. Peter understood and explains this in 2 Peter 3:9 telling us that “The Lord
is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance.”
But Peter also reminds us
that God’s patience should not be toyed with.
2
Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Many people suggest that in
the end, everyone will end up in heaven and that just isn’t true. It is an insult
to the holiness and just nature of God to suggest this. David understood this,
so in Psalm 37 he instructs us on how to live as God’s people, despite the
wicked of the world. His instruction reminds us what to do, even when the
wicked surround us and seemingly endanger our very lives.
Psalm
37:3-9
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself 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 act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself 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 act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
The literal promise of the
land speaks to the Jews but for the Christian, there is a coming new heaven and
new earth. As Christians, we need to be living with eternity in view. We need
to trust that God is not overlooking evil. David explains.
Psalm
37:12-13
The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
Their day is coming.
Psalm
37:14-15
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
Our work is to stand in
faith, trusting in our God. Even if the wicked strike a blow against us, God
will see us through, if it is in Him we find our delight.
Psalm
37:23-24
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
Read through Psalm 37 in its entirety.
In it is a contrast of how the wicked end up and how those who trust in the
Lord prosper for eternity.
Peter gave us the path to
follow that goes right along with what David says here in this psalm.
2
Peter 3:11-18
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Wait in faith. Do not let the
wicked carry you away and take away your stability. David knew that the
Christian has a future. David knew that our salvation comes from the Lord
Jesus. David knew to take refuge in Him.
Psalm
37:37-40
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Stand in faith. Leave the
wicked to God and keep your eyes on Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment