Psalm 37

37:1
By David. Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed. Do not envy
evildoers.
2
For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants.
3
Trust in the Lord and do what is right. Settle in the land and maintain
your integrity.
4
Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers.
5
Commit your future to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act on your
behalf.
6
He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just
cause.
7
Wait patiently for the Lord! Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the
apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes.
8
Do not be angry and frustrated. Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.
9
Wicked men will be wiped out, but those who rely on the Lord are the ones
who will possess the land.
10
Evil men will soon disappear; you will stare at the spot where they once
were, but they will be gone.
11
But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity.
12
Evil men plot against the godly and viciously attack them.
13
The Lord laughs in disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming.
14
Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down the
oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly.
15
Their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16
The little bit that a godly man owns is better than the wealth of many evil
men,
17
for evil men will lose their power, but the Lord sustains the godly.
18
The Lord watches over the innocent day by day, and they possess a
permanent inheritance.
19
They will not be ashamed when hard times come; when famine comes they will
have enough to eat.
20
But evil men will die; the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated—they will go
up in smoke.
21
Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt, but the godly show compassion
and are generous.
22
Surely those favoured by the Lord will possess the land, but those rejected
by him will be wiped out.
23
The Lord grants success to the one whose behaviour he finds commendable.
24
Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong, for the Lord holds his hand.
25
I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen the godly abandoned, or
their children forced to search for food.
26
All day long they show compassion and lend to others, and their children
are blessed.
27
Turn away from evil. Do what is right. Then you will enjoy lasting
security.
28
For the Lord promotes justice, and never abandons his faithful
followers.They are permanently secure, but the children of the wicked are
wiped out.
29
The godly will possess the land and will dwell in it permanently.
30
The godly speak wise words and promote justice.
31
The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip.
32
The wicked set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them.
33
But the Lord does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in
a court of law.
34
Rely on the Lord. Obey his commands. Then he will permit you to possess
the land; you will see the demise of the wicked.
35
I have seen ruthless, wicked people growing in influence, like a green
tree grows in its native soil.
36
But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared. I looked for
them, but they could not be found.
37
Take note of the one who has integrity. Observe the upright. For the one
who promotes peace has a future.
38
Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; the wicked have no future.
39
But the Lord delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble.
40
The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked and
delivers them, for they seek his protection.

One thought:

It’s hard not to look in despair at current events and wonder what God is doing. The view from heaven is a much bigger picture.

Three questions:

What is the big theme of this Psalm would you say?

Are you struggling with patience in waiting for God to do something?

Finish this sentence. God when will you… Reflect on this thought today.

Prayer:

Praise God that His plan to bring all things under Christ has always been certain. Give thanks that this plan has been revealed to you. Ask God to help you + others wait patiently for the return of Christ and the final fulfilment of all God’s promises.

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