Psalm 37 - The Contemplative Bible Meditation Series
Psalm 37 speaks to the timeless struggle between righteousness and wickedness, between trust in a higher power and the temptation to fret over the deeds of evildoers. In today's world, where headlines scream of injustice and discord, this psalm stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us of the enduring power of faith and the assurance that goodness shall ultimately prevail.
Transcript
In the vast expanse of Biblical literature,
There are verses that transcend time,
Resonating with relevance even in the complexity of our modern lives.
Among these jewels of wisdom lies Psalm 37,
A soothing balm for the weary soul,
Offering solace and guidance amidst the tumult of existence.
At its core,
Psalm 37 speaks to the timeless struggle between righteousness and wickedness,
Between trust in a higher power and the temptation to fret over the deeds of evildoers.
In today's world where headlines scream of injustice and discord,
This psalm acts as a beacon of hope,
Reminding us of the enduring power of faith and the assurance that goodness shall ultimately prevail.
Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity,
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord and do good,
Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Do not fret because of Him who prospers in His way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath,
Do not fret,
It only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off,
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more,
Indeed,
You will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that His day is coming.
The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy to slay those who are of upright conduct.
Their sword shall enter their own heart and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord,
Like the splendor of the meadows,
Shall vanish into smoke,
They shall vanish away.
The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in His way.
Though he fall,
He shall not be utterly cast down,
For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
I have been young and now am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor His descendants begging bread.
He is ever merciful and lends,
And His descendants are blessed.
Depart from evil and do good,
And dwell forevermore.
For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His saints.
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and His tongue talks of justice.
The law of His God is in His heart,
None of His steps shall slide.
The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him.
The Lord will not leave him in His hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the Lord and keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land.
When the wicked are cut off,
You shall see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away,
And behold,
He was no more.
Indeed I sought him,
But he could not be found.
Mark the blameless man and observe the upright,
For the future of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together,
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the Lord shall help them and deliver them.
He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them,
Because they trust in Him.
Psalm 37 verse 1 and 2 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And with her as the green herb.
In a world rife with injustice and inequality,
It is all too easy to succumb to feelings of anger and despair.
Yet this verse beckons us to resist the urge to fret over the wicked deeds of others.
Like the grass that withers in due time,
So too shall the evildoers face the consequences of their actions.
Let us take solace in the knowledge that justice,
Though delayed,
Will inevitably be served.
Verses 3 and 4 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Here lies the heart of the Psalm's message.
Trust in the divine providence and let goodness be your guiding light.
By delighting in the Lord and aligning our desires with His will,
We open ourselves to the abundance of blessings that await.
In cultivating a spirit of gratitude and contentment,
We find fulfilment beyond measure.
Verses 5 and 6 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
As we surrender our worries and aspirations to the divine,
We step into the radiant light of God's grace.
Trusting in His unfailing love,
We allow our righteousness to shine forth,
Illuminating the darkness that threatens to engulf us.
Even in the midst of adversity,
Our faith becomes a beacon of hope,
Guiding us through life's darkest valleys.
Verses 7 and 8 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Do not fret because of Him who prospers in His way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Seize from anger and forsake wrath.
Do not fret,
It only causes harm.
In a culture obsessed with instant gratification and success,
This verse calls us to embrace the virtue of patience.
As we rest in the assurance of God's sovereignty,
We release the burden of comparison and envy.
Let us seize from anger and forsake wrath,
Recognizing that fretting only serves to corrode our inner peace.
Instead,
Let us cultivate a spirit of tranquility,
Knowing that all things unfold in accordance with divine timing.
Verse 9 and 10 For evildoers shall be cut off,
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more.
Indeed,
You will look carefully for His place,
But it shall be no more.
In the face of adversity,
It can be tempting to lose hope,
To question the fairness of the universe.
Yet,
This verse offers a profound reassurance.
The wicked shall be vanquished,
And those who wait patiently on the Lord shall inherit the earth.
Though the night may seem long,
Dawn inevitably breaks,
Dispelling the shadows of darkness.
Let us hold fast to this promise,
Knowing that justice will prevail in the end.
Verse 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
In a world that exalts the mighty and the powerful,
The virtue of meekness may seem outdated.
And yet,
This verse reminds us of the inherent beauty and strength found in humility.
It is the meek who shall inherit the earth,
Finding solace and fulfilment in the abundance of peace.
Let us cultivate a spirit of gentleness and compassion,
Knowing that true greatness lies not in domination,
But in service to others.
Verse 12 and 13 The wicked plots against the just and gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him,
For he sees that his day is coming.
In the face of persecution and adversity,
It can be easy to lose heart.
Yet,
This verse offers a comforting reassurance.
The Lord sees the machinations of the wicked and laughs,
For he knows that their day of reckoning draws near.
Let us take refuge in the knowledge that we are not alone in our struggles,
But are upheld by the mighty hand of God.
Verse 14 and 15 The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
Their sword shall enter their own heart and their bows shall be broken.
In a world plagued by violence and oppression,
This verse speaks to the inevitable downfall of the wicked.
Though they may wield their weapons with impunity,
Their swords shall ultimately turn against them and their bows shall be broken.
Let us take heart in the knowledge that justice will be served and the meek shall inherit the earth.
Verse 16 and 17 A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the Lord upholds the righteous.
In a culture obsessed with material wealth and success,
This verse offers an important reminder.
True riches lie not in worldly possessions,
But in the steadfast love of the Lord.
Though the wicked may prosper for a time,
Their arms shall be broken and their wealth shall vanish like dust in the wind.
Let us take comfort in the knowledge that we are upheld by the mighty hand of God and that His blessings far surpass the fleeting pleasures of the world.
Verse 18 and 19 The Lord knows the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
In times of uncertainty and turmoil,
It can be easy to lose sight of the divine providence that sustains us.
Yet,
This verse offers a profound reassurance.
The Lord knows the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever.
Even in the darkest of times we shall not be ashamed,
For the Lord shall satisfy our every need.
Let us take refuge in the knowledge that we are held in the palm of His hand and that His love endures forever.
Verse 20 and 21 But the wicked shall perish,
And the enemies of the Lord,
Like the splendour of the meadows,
Shall vanish.
Into smoke they shall vanish away.
The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
In a world consumed by greed and selfishness,
This verse offers a sobering reminder.
The wicked shall perish and their ill-gotten gains shall vanish like smoke.
Let us heed the call to righteousness,
Showing mercy and generosity to all whom we encounter.
For in giving freely of ourselves,
We mirror the boundless love of our Creator.
Verse 22 and 23 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in His way.
In a world characterized by uncertainty and chaos,
This verse offers a glimmer of hope.
Those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the earth and their steps shall be ordered by His divine providence.
Let us take comfort in the knowledge that we are guided and upheld by the hand of God,
Delighting in His way and trusting in His unfailing love.
Verse 24 and 25 Though He fall,
He shall not be utterly cast down,
For the Lord upholds Him with His hand.
I have been young and now am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor His descendants begging bread.
In the midst of life's trials and tribulations,
It can be easy to lose sight of the divine presence that sustains us.
Yet,
This verse offers a profound reassurance.
Though we may stumble and fall,
The Lord upholds us with His mighty hand.
Let us take comfort in the knowledge that we are never alone,
For the Lord is ever by our side,
Guiding and sustaining us through every trial and every tribulation.
Verse 26 and 27 He is ever merciful and lends,
And His descendants are blessed.
Depart from evil and do good,
And dwell forevermore.
This verse calls us to embody the virtues of mercy and generosity,
For it is in giving freely of ourselves that we are blessed,
And it is in departing from evil and doing good,
That we find true fulfilment and contentment.
Let us heed the call to righteousness,
Living lives marked by compassion,
Kindness and love.
Verses 28 and 29 For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His saints.
They are preserved forever.
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off,
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The Lord loves justice and He does not forsake His saints.
Though the wicked may prosper for a time,
Their days are numbered,
And they shall ultimately be cut off.
Let us take comfort,
Knowing that the righteous shall inherit the land,
Dwelling in it forever in the presence of their Creator.
Verses 30 and 31 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
The law of his God is in his heart.
None of his steps shall slide.
Deceit and dishonesty are so present in the world we live in today.
But this verse calls us to embody the virtues of wisdom and justice.
For it is in speaking truth and upholding righteousness,
That we find true fulfilment and contentment.
Let us allow the law of God to dwell in our hearts,
Guiding our every thought,
Word,
And deed,
That none of our steps may slide.
Verses 32 and 33 The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him.
The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged.
In the face of persecution and adversity,
It can be easy to lose heart.
Yet,
This verse offers reassurance.
The Lord watches over the righteous,
And he will not leave them in the hands of the wicked.
We are upheld by the mighty hand of God,
And he will deliver us from every trial,
From every tribulation.
Verse 34 Wait on the Lord and keep his way,
And he shall exalt you to inherit the land.
When the wicked are cut off,
You shall see it.
In this verse,
We are called to embody the virtue of patience.
For it is in waiting on the Lord and keeping his way that we find true fulfilment and contentment.
Let us trust in his divine timing,
Knowing that he will exalt us to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off.
Verse 35 and 36 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away,
And behold,
He was no more.
Indeed,
I sought him,
But he could not be found.
Injustice and oppression.
When we look around,
We see so much of this.
And though the wicked may prosper for a time,
Their days are numbered and they shall ultimately pass away.
Let us take comfort in the knowledge that the wicked shall not prevail forever.
They shall be cut off in due time.
Verse 37 and 38 Mark the blameless man and observe the upright,
For the future of that man is peace,
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together.
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
Chaos and strife all around us,
But we are called to honour the blameless man,
To observe the upright.
Because in doing so,
In doing good,
In doing the right thing,
That is where we find peace.
And those who do the bad things,
The evil things,
The wicked things,
They may survive but for a while,
But they will be destroyed altogether.
The future of the wicked will be cut off and peace will reign in the land.
The Lord watches over the righteous,
And He will deliver them from every trial,
From every tribulation.
Verse 39 and 40 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.
He is their strength in the time of trouble,
And the Lord shall help them and deliver them.
He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in Him.
In times of trouble and distress,
It can be easy to lose sight of the divine presence that is always around us,
In the divine presence that sustains us.
So we need to remind ourselves that the Lord is our strength,
He is our deliverer and He will help us and save us from the wicked because we trust in Him.
We are held in the palm of His hand and His love endures forever.
So let us take a moment to reflect on the timeless truths contained within the verses of Psalm 37.
In a world characterized by chaos and uncertainty,
May we find solace and guidance in the enduring promises of God's Word.
Let us trust in the Lord and do good,
Knowing that He will uphold us with His mighty hand.
And may we take comfort in the knowledge that the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord and He will deliver us from every trial and tribulation.
A prayer.
In the midst of life's challenges and uncertainties,
We turn to You as a rock and a refuge.
Grant us the strength to trust in Your unfailing love and to walk in Your ways.
May Your Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path,
Guiding us through every trial and tribulation.
And may we take comfort in the knowledge that You are ever by our side,
Upholding us with Your mighty hand.
In Your holy name we pray.
Amen.
