Sunday Devotional 19th of February, 2023
by Bruce Billington
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will continue to explore Psalm 37 – a Psalm of David.
Psalm 37:17–19 – “For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous.The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance.”
What does it mean to say that the Lord sustains the righteous? It means that they are supported by the power of God who will not let them fall. Whatever their situation – they live under the eye of the all-seeing God, and He is aware of everything that happens in their lives.
Despite the hardships that we may face in our journey of life we are never forsaken or forgotten about. God takes His role very seriously as our Father, Saviour, and Provider. As a result, we are safe and are in good keeping despite the circumstances around us. In times of famine, God can do for us, what worldly wealth cannot provide.
Often it may seem, in regard to material wealth and possessions, that the wicked fare way better than we do. But whether that is the case or not, God desires to make us realise that the things of this world are not the best things, for us. The true wealth is our relationship with God, our purpose in Him and the fact that He has an inheritance for us that far surpasses any worldly treasure.
As a result, we should never envy the prosperity of those who do not walk in the ways of the Lord. We shall ultimately inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). This means that all things will ultimately be ours. As Paul writes, in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 – “For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”
Often the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just (Proverbs 13:22) so why should we strive for it and make its pursuit central to our way of life? It is far better that we embrace the fact that God is the Great Provider and will provide all that we need to fulfil His calling on our lives and bless us way beyond this because, as our Father, He loves to bless us.
God offers us an abundance of peace that can never be obtained from worldly wealth. This peace penetrates our body, soul, and spirit and lets us settle in the Father’s arms and enjoy all that He has revealed about Himself to us. It is this peace that the world cannot give – (John 14:27), and those with worldly wealth have often said that they would give it all away in a heartbeat just for one hour of such peace.
Verse 18 says that God knows our days. He knows when our days are bright, fulfilling, and joyful and He also knows when we are challenged, perplexed, and feeling under a dark cloud. In fact, it is in these darker times that we are promised that God will brings us through, into times of abundance. What He has for us is not subject to the events of this world, nor its provisions. God can create anything for us out of nothing.
As a result, we must assess the issues of life from God’s perspective, not from the world around us. We must constantly look to Him for guidance and discover where He is working, rather than the state of the world from the 6’0’clock news. As we do so we can wait patiently for God to arise and break “the arms of wicked” as they attempt to destroy all that God has intended creation to be. John Calvin is so right when he says,
Nothing, therefore, is more profitable for us than to have our eyes continually set upon the providence of God, which alone can best provide for us everything we need.
As a result of the knowledge that God watches over us for our well-being, we are free to pursue His will and enjoy our time upon this earth, knowing that He will eventually overcome all things, set up His Kingdom upon this earth, and bring us fully into all His glory and honour.
As a result, we can join with David in saying “the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me” (Psalm 16:6).
God Bless You
Bruce Billington