Sunday Devotional 5th 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 37:8-11 – Refrain from anger and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
Anger is an interesting phenomenon. It can come upon us very fast, and it seems that it tries to keep us company in all sorts of situations. But it frequently causes us to do things we later regret. Expressed in the way this Psalm describes, reveals that we no longer accept that God is in control, so we must attack whatever it is we feel threatened or annoyed by. The antidote to this is to concentrate on the fact that so many issues in our life reflect the work of God and His ultimate goodness towards us. It is only through doing this that we will find peace and rest.
Entering and maintaining a place of rest (waiting) before the Lord means that we can be silent and still. We can settle ourselves down and find that this produces an absence of emotional distress and upset. God’s Word promises us that He will deal with the wicked. But He works according to His timetable, not ours. Our focus should always be on the Lord and allow Him to bring about the ultimate outcome.
This also speaks to a long-term attitude that can build up within us over a period of time, in regard to what we observe in the world. As we view this (from our very limited perspective) we can easily become disheartened because it seems to us that the wicked seem to have easier lives than we do. It does not seem right that their wicked ways bring them prosperity while we live righteously and struggle from day to day and face many challenges. Dwelling on these injustices can quickly make us angry, especially when the devices or schemes of wicked people affect us personally. This is not the attitude the Lord wants us to have.
We must keep our focus on the Lord and His faithfulness rather than on the ways of the wicked. This is the third time in this Psalm that we are told not to fret over evildoers. Whatever is happening with the wicked, we are exhorted to be comforted with the fact that it is those who are meek or humble (V10) that will inherit the earth.
The meek are not the weak. Meekness is a great strength. The people being referred to here are those who have the allowed the Lord to equip them for battle. They know that God’s warfare must be carried out with calm faith, humility before God, and the confident hope of His deliverance.
Because of this hope God’s people delight in Him and as they do, they find that, above all others, they truly enjoy life. Even when they do suffer, their hope remains fixed on the Lord. The promise of inheriting the land means that these people will obtain covenant privileges and the salvation of God. The peace and love they seek, will come to them in an abundant supply.
We need to continue to live godly lives, committing every part of ourselves to Him and trusting Him to protect us from the ways of the wicked. As we continue to fix our eyes on Him, we will find that our journey of life will truly led us into the promised land.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington