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Praying the Psalms - Day 6

Today's reading closes out Book I of the Psalms, and I'm highlighting Psalm 37.

Psalm 37 is a wisdom Psalm, constrasting the life of the godly, who trust God, against the wicked. It starts out with a plea to the listener to not fret because of evildoers, they shall be cut down. The listener is urged to make the LORD his delight, as found in this famous quotation:

Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Is this a promise of prosperity for those who follow God? Yes, but note the wording: if we make God the object of our desires, He will grant our desires, which are -- God! So the promise is, if we want God, He will give Himself to us, similar to that promise in Hebrews 11:6, "he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

A description of a life of discipleship follow:

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

God's bringing forth of our righteousness isn't something that happens immediately as if we could be turned on like a light switch. It happens through a lifetime of trusting Him, of making decisions based on knowing and following God's will. It also involves going through hardship and rough times, and it also involves learning how to deal with temptation and dedicate ourselves to holiness in our walk. Is it a lot to do? Yes, but our job is to commit our way to the LORD, and trust in Him. He is the one who brings it to pass.

The Psalmist continues by urging the listener to pay no heed to those who prosper or bring wicked schemes to pass. Don't worry, don't be angry. The wicked shall soon be no more - their successes are fleeting. The days of the upright are forever.

The LORD knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish;
And the enemies of the LORD,
Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.

The Psalmist paints a picture of God's protection of us as we go about our lives, ordering our ways, and picking us up whenever we fall.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

The Psalm ends with an assurance of God's protection from both times of trouble and the wicked:

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.

Posted by joelfuhrmann at December 6, 2003 01:08 PM