Verse: Psalm 37:30-40
The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Devotion
So many of the Psalms are so rich with peace. They remind me of what to hold onto. Often times, I feel like Psalms can be a reset button for my train wreck mind. When my thoughts are all over the place, when I have fear of the unknown, when I am riddled with anxiety, God uses Psalms to speak to the inmost part of my spirit.
Psalm 37, is right up my alley. Spoken from a once young shepherd boy who spent many days and nights with just his flock. He is now a king. He reveals his humanity in the Psalms. He pours out his heart in ways we can identify with. This Psalm in particular nudges me to preach to my soul. Ever have those moments? Moments where you find yourself preaching to…. yourself? Here we see David doing that. He recalls what he has seen and how it has unfolded.
Often, I do this in my life. I see the “ wicked” advancing or making a stink and I get angry and frustrated. I get on my soapbox, rant and rave about the world like an 90 year old woman on her front stoop. Then, when I am out of breath, I remember His word. His promises. His faithfulness. I settle into His truth and remember He won’t fail.
What strikes me about this passage are the contrasts David speaks about the “godly and the wicked”. Sometimes, it’s just this simple. If I follow God’s path and hold onto His word, I can be sure He will be faithful. If I continue in the ways of His righteousness, I can be sure He will bless me. On the contrary, if I seek the wicked and engage in what the world offers, I can be sure I will fail. If I align my heart with my selfish pursuits, I can be sure He will withhold His favor.
My encouragement today is one that is pretty straight forward. Let us each take some time today and check our hearts and motives. Are they aligned with His ways? Are we seeking His truth in all areas of our lives? We can’t hold onto some areas and give other areas to Him. He wants ALL of it. If we want the Lord to walk with us, bless us and draw near to us, we must take moments and read scripture like Psalm 37, and realign our hearts with His truth.
My prayer is that each of us can read this portion of Psalm 37 and ask God to sift through our hearts. As He does, let’s commit to seeking the way of the godly and riding ourselves of the ways of the wicked. Maybe today I will see if I can get that 90 year old woman off of my front stoop and remind her that in vs 40, it says,” The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.”
Prayer
Help me Lord to trust in your hand, and to learn to not keep taking things into mine.
Author: Mandy Dunn
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