Psalm 37 – Meekness yet not weakness!
(Written by Daniel Chew)
Psalm 37 elaborates the third Beatitude in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth”. The psalm communicates the wisdom of an old man who had walked with the Lord. He had battled with evil men and knew the frustration of seeing the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. With the experience of the past, he now gives wise counsel to keep us from fretting, and to have faith in our God.
The world is full of evildoers, and they flourish and live in ease. We are bound to fret at this. We are, however, warned that outward prosperity will fade. There’s no reason to envy the wicked. A man’s life consists not in abundance that he has. What is then the desire of the heart of a renewed, sanctified and righteous man? It is to trust in the LORD and do good. It’s a reminder to walk by faith and not by sight. We are exhorted to delight in the LORD to find all our joy and pleasure in His will. We are to commit our way to the Lord for He will guide our steps, guard our integrity and bless our work. By prayer we can spread our case and cast all our cares before the Lord, and trust in Him. Then leave the matter with our Lord.
Let us also be still before the LORD. A restless spirit displays our unbelief. Martin Luther once said, “Be silent to God and let Him mould thee. Keep still and He will mould thee to the right shape.” God knows the believer’s days. God provides plentifully and well, not only for His working servants, but for His waiting servants too. They have that which is better than wealth – “the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Those who rest on the Rock of Ages have no reason to envy the wicked who like smoke will vanish away.
The Lord our God requires that we do justly and render to all their dues. By His providence, the LORD overrules events to make our way plain and leads us step by step, as children are led. He will guide our mouth to utter wisdom and speak justice, and the law of God will be in our heart. And God will neither abandon nor forsake us.
The Psalmist reminds us to “wait on the Lord”. To wait for the inheritance God has for us and reserved in Heaven just for us. The salvation of the righteous will be the Lord’s doing. He will help us to bear our troubles well, and get good by them, and, in due time, will deliver us.
The psalm concludes with an assurance of our refuge in the Lord. Taking delight in the Lord, having His teaching in our hearts, casting our burdens on Him, being still before Him, and having Him know our days and ways is the way to find peace and to dwell in and inherit His land, enjoying the harvest of His faithfulness and providence. This indeed echoes the Beatitude “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”
Let’s Read Psalm 37
1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord ;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret-it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord ,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
The Lord ‘s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish-vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23 If the Lord delights in a man’s way,
he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord ;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Let’s Pray
Our loving Heavenly Father, how wonderful and how assuring it is that we can trust in You, that we can delight ourselves in You and commit our ways to You, and be still before You and rest in You and You alone. Though the wicked and evil people may seem to prosper and to enjoy life in that sense. They have all in a sense. Heavenly Father, we know that these things are just treasures on earth, that will rust, that thieves will break in and steal, that will vanish and fade away. But we know, Lord, that as we walk before you and as You delight in our ways and delight in us, as we keep Your law, as we utter wisdom and fight for justice and speak of justice, we know, Lord, that you would exalt us in due time and that we would inherit the land and all the inheritances that you have prepared for us. And that we would indeed claim it in eternity in heaven.
And therefore, Father, we pray that none of us would look at the prosperity of others around us, at the good things and riches of the wicked and evil people, but be thankful for the daily blessings and the mercies which are new every morning lavished upon us. Help us therefore, to continue to keep faith with you, to walk by faith and not by sight, and to take our refuge in You and to rest in You, and to always depend only on You and You alone.
And may we as the Lord Himself commanded in His Sermon on the Mount to seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto us. Help us to do that, Lord, with Your Spirit’s help and strength. We pray all these in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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