Psalm 37:1-40

There are many different kinds of people on the earth but for the most part they can be divided into two groups: those that fear the Lord and those that do not.  It is difficult for us to think of these two groups coexisting but that is the way that God has planned it.  Conflict between these two contrasting groups is inevitable but that should not be our main concern.  We must recognize that God has all of this under control and He will make sure that all is well in the end.  The structure of this Psalm is very creative.  It is and acrostic with every new phrase beginning with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The poem is organized by its content in an inverse order or as a chiasmus with the first verse matching the last verse in content, the second verse matches the second to the last verse in content etc…  The message of this Psalm should be a great comfort to all who fear the Lord.

DON’T FRET HAVE FAITH: In the face of adversity we all have a tendency to fret and worry.  David lets us know that we do not need to be worried about the evil doers with whom we share the earth.  They will soon fade away and the conflicts we face with them are simply temporary.  God has a far better future planed for us.  Our job is simply to have faith in the Lord and live in obedience to Him no matter how difficult that may seem.  As we trust Him He will guide, direct and provide.  We need to learn to be still before the Lord instead of fret about what we think He should be doing in a particular situation.  We cannot allow ourselves to be infected with the evil plans of the wicked for them we will become just like them.  We must learn to patiently and silently wait on the Lord to do what is right.  God has everything under control and we can trust Him to take care of us.  We can defeat fret with faith.

THE WICKED ARE WARNED: The wicked, who do not fear the Lord, may make threats and seek to hurt the Lord’s children, but the Lord laughs in the face of these wicked men because He knows what their end will be.  They think they will attack the poor but they end up having their own weapons turned against them.  God is not worried about all of the bravado and threats that the wicked make.  They do not have any power over Him and they need to beware of the consequences of their actions.  It is far better to lack wealth now than to have God stand against us in the future.  The wicked will experience eternal damnation.  It is far better for the godly to experience temporary hardship than to have to face the plight of the wicked.

THE RIGHTEOUS ARE REWARDED: There are rich rewards that God gives to those who fear Him and walk in His ways.  God guides them along the path of life and provides comfort and hope even in times of trouble.  David testifies that God has been faithful to provide for the basic needs of all who are righteous.  They do not need to beg for bread but instead are able to generously share with others.  It is a great joy to be able to serve others and not just live for our own desires.  God grants wisdom to the righteous and gives him solid footing on the paths that he takes.  There are rich rewards associated with living our lives in righteousness.

GOD’S JUDGMENT IS JUST: God knows exactly how to judge men for their evil and their actions.  He is all-knowing and is always just.  Those who sin against God will be destroyed in the end even if they may seem to have the upper hand for a short while on the earth.  Those who fear God will enjoy great blessings for all of eternity even if they must suffer for a short while on the earth.  We must always look to the Lord as our refuge and our strength for He is our hope and help in times of trouble.  Things may not appear as we want them to, but we must always remember that the Lord is holy and just in His judgments.