Psalm 37 – Daily Bread From the Psalms

~ Psalm 37 ~

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Some days just seem full of evil.
And they seem to be increasing in number.  Are you feeling it too?
This morning’s news was packed with stories of murders, scandals, abuse, muggings, carjackings, and nasty politics.

And full of sadness…
Not only was the news unsettling to me this morning, but I read of the death of a beloved pastor, and the critical illness of the daughter of a sister in Christ.  My dear friend is in the hospital, another friend is attending the funeral of a neighbor today, and we are praying for the children and husband of a sweet young family as their mom (and wife) went to be with Jesus yesterday.
Sickness and suffering has touched just about everyone I know in the last few weeks.

We pray.
And pray more.  Yet still the sense of disquiet, anxiety, heaviness, and melancholy hangs heavy.
Life seems topsy turvy and a bit upside down.  Good is called evil, and evil is called good.
Those who sow injustice and hate prosper, and those who cry out for peace and mercy suffer.
“How long will the wicked, LORD, how long will the wicked continue to triumph?”

As we read Psalm 37 , we will find that today is not unlike other seasons of great oppression and unrighteousness in the past.  Evil doers abound throughout history, along with those who carry out injustice to the most innocent, and those who celebrate what is immoral.  And there is not a time outside the Garden when man has not suffered sickness and death.

Jesus told it like it was/is… “In this world you will have trouble…”.
So why are we so surprised when we are faced with these things?  And all the more as His coming draws closer?
For millennia, man has chased after happiness and contentment apart from God, and tried to remove any type of sadness or pain.  In Psalm 37  though, David’s words remind us not to RUN away from the feelings of strain, stress, discomfort, and dis-ease of it all.  Things are NOT as they should be.  Of course we are feeling deeply grieved these days.
The wisdom of Psalm 37 will teach us that our first instinct to RELIEVE ourselves of the pressure of it all, is not the best response.  In this world there is all kinds of trouble, BUT He has overcome the world!
And we are His.
So, if we aren’t supposed to just pray till everything is fixed and we feel better, what DO we do?

THERE IS GOOD NEWS in Psalm 37!  
The Rock of Ages is still an immovable, unshakeable place to plant our feet amid the chaos of this world.
Remember all those prayers you’ve been lifting up to Jesus?
Well He’s heard every single one… and the ones the Spirit in you uttered when you were too distressed to pray!
He isn’t passive.  He isn’t wondering what to do.  He isn’t ignoring our cries for help.
He’s there.  Rock solid!
AND as we stand on Him, He will walk us THROUGH these trying times.
He will use them for our good, and for His glory, and if we are willing, He will draw us closer to Himself than we’ve ever experienced before.

TRUST IN THE LORD!

“The LORD upholds the righteous…”
We will NOT run away from our grief and worries.
We will run to the LORD!
And we will pray… and pray some more.
He keeps every promise!

And so we pray together from Psalm 37~

Ancient of Days we come to you in the middle of our mess.
As we consider the evil of men spreading wide and far in our world,
we will not fret or be envious of their apparent successes.

We will trust in You LORD,
And, WE will do good on the earth.
We will delight ourselves in You, and enjoy dwelling with You!
You are the desire of our hearts.

We commit all our ways to You,
And we trust that everything You say, You do.
We know that as we be still and wait patiently for You,
You will make Your righteousness in us SHINE as bright as the sun!
Though the wicked continue to carry out all their schemes,
And though they appear to succeed at their plots of evil,
We will not be worried, and hopeless, and angry.

We will turn to You and put all our hope in You!
And soon we will rest in our inheritance of the whole earth!
The days of the wicked will be cut short,
But we will be enjoying GREAT peace forever in the land we inherit!
Help us to practice meekness in spirit,
and walk in a path that delights You.

LORD, 
You see the traps evil men are laying for those who are poor and needy…
Plots to shatter those with upright hearts, and those who go about doing good.
But all their mocking, and wickedness, and their power will be destroyed.
They will be cut off.
And they will vanish like smoke.

LORD,
You know our days too.  Every one of them.
Our inheritance will not be the same as the wicked.
Our inheritance will last forever!
We will enjoy plenty, we will give freely, and be blessed!
Even our children will be blessed!
You are faithful and You are just.
Your protective love surrounds those who are the faithful, and those who are the just.
And we will never be forsaken!

Father,
Keep us from evil, and help us to do good!
Stir Your law in our hearts that all our words may flow with wisdom,
And that our feet might not slip off the path of the just.
Help us to WAIT for You, to WAIT with You,
Right in the middle of the wickedness and evil.
And we will see a day when these men are cut off.

You, O LORD, are our Salvation!
You are the Rock upon which we STAND!
In these times of trouble,
We will not fret about what the wicked are doing.
Though our hearts may fail us,
WE will run to You.
You are our Help!
And You will deliver us from the wicked.
Our refuge is in YOU!

Until the Day we receive our inheritance and dwell in the beautiful land with You,
We will trust in You… and do good on the earth!

You can read (or listen) to Psalm 37  HERE.

~Praying the Psalms Table of Contents~

–Psalm 1
–Psalm 2 & 3
–Psalm 4
–Psalm 5
–Psalm 6 & 7
–Psalm 8
–Psalm 9
–Psalm 10
–Psalm 11
–Psalm 12
–Psalm 13
–Psalm 14
–Psalm 15
–Psalm 16
–Psalm 17
–Psalm 18
–Psalm 19
–Psalm 20
–Psalm 21
–Psalm 22
–Psalm 23
–Psalm 24
–Psalm 25
–Psalm 26
–Psalm 27
–Psalm 28
–Psalm 29
–Psalm 30
–Psalm 31
–Psalm 32
–Psalm 33
–Psalm 34
–Psalm 35
–Psalm 36