Read
(By David.)
Trust the Lord
1Don't be annoyed by anyone
who does wrong,
and don't envy them.
2They will soon disappear
like grass without rain.
3Trust the Lord and live right!
The land will be yours,
and you will be safe.
4Do what the Lord wants,
and he will give you
your heart's desire.
5Let the Lord lead you
and trust him to help.
6Then it will be as clear
as the noonday sun
that you were right.
7Be patient and trust the Lord.
Don't let it bother you
when all goes well for those
who do sinful things.
8Don't be angry or furious.
Anger can lead to sin.
9All sinners will disappear,
but if you trust the Lord,
the land will be yours.
10Sinners will soon disappear,
never to be found,
11 but the poor will take the land
and enjoy a big harvest.
12Merciless people make plots
against good people
and snarl like animals,
13but the Lord laughs and knows
their time is coming soon.
14The wicked kill with swords
and shoot arrows to murder
the poor and the needy
and all who do right.
15But they will be killed
by their own swords,
and their arrows
will be broken.
16It is better to live right
and be poor
than to be sinful and rich.
17The wicked will lose all
of their power,
but the Lord gives strength
to everyone who is good.
18Those who obey the Lord
are daily in his care,
and what he has given them
will be theirs forever.
19They won't be in trouble
when times are bad,
and they will have plenty
when food is scarce.
20Wicked people are enemies
of the Lord
and will vanish like smoke
from a field on fire.
21An evil person borrows
and never pays back;
a good person is generous
and never stops giving.
22Everyone the Lord blesses
will receive the land;
everyone the Lord curses
will be destroyed.
23If you do what the Lord wants,
he will make certain
each step you take is sure.
24The Lord will hold your hand,
and if you stumble,
you still won't fall.
25As long as I can remember,
good people have never
been left helpless,
and their children have never
gone begging for food.
26They gladly give and lend,
and their children
turn out good.
27If you stop sinning
and start doing right,
you will keep living
and be secure forever.
28The Lord loves justice,
and he won't ever desert
his faithful people.
He always protects them,
but destroys the children
of the wicked.
29God's people will own the land
and live here forever.
30Words of wisdom come
when good people speak
for justice.
31They remember God's teachings,
and they never take
a wrong step.
32The wicked try to trap
and kill good people,
33but the Lord is on their side,
and he will defend them
when they are on trial.
34Trust the Lord and follow him.
He will give you the land,
and you will see
the wicked destroyed.
35I have seen brutal people
abuse others and grow strong
like trees in rich soil.
36Suddenly they disappeared!
I looked, but they were gone
and no longer there.
37Think of the bright future
waiting for all the families
of honest, innocent,
and peace-loving people.
38But not a trace will be left
of the wicked
or their families.
39The Lord protects his people,
and they can come to him
in times of trouble.
40The Lord helps his people
and saves them from the wicked
because they run to him.
Reflect
There is so much wickedness in our world that sometimes it can overwhelm us and we begin to worry. We see evil men succeed and wonder if God is aware of it. We watch terrible things happen to innocent people and we wonder why God does not act. All the “what ifs” build in our minds and create ulcers in our stomachs. Dwelling on all that is negative and evil will do that to you.
The writer of Psalm 37 gives us the antidote. He lays out the formula for living a life of peace and contentment in an evil world. First of all he says do not fret, then trust the Lord, be still before him, be generous, do good, and finally, wait for the Lord.
It’s a matter of focus. The psalmist lays out the pattern for taking our eyes off what is evil in the world and putting them on the path God has laid out for us to follow. He declares that God will deal with evil men and delight in “the way of the man whose steps he has made firm.” (v 23).
Notice that it is God who orders the steps of the righteous one. The pattern is established by God himself. He is sovereign and he will bring all things to right in the end. Our role is to follow him, walk in his ways and trust him.
It’s a pattern laid out on every page of the Bible. Are you fretting about the evil in the world? Your Bible will help you find the right focus.
Respond
Our Father in Heaven, help us to take our eyes off what’s happening in the world and put them on you. Give us the desire to know you more and to continue to walk in your ways. Amen.
Marcia Lee Laycock
Marcia Lee Laycock is an award-winning writer and sought-after speaker. Having lived a few kilometers from the Arctic Circle, and two degrees off the Equator, her writing draws from a rich field of experiences. Marcia was the winner of the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone, and she now has four devotional books and a fantasy series in print, which have also garnered awards. Marcia lives in central Alberta with her pastor husband. They have three grown daughters and two huge Great Dane grand-puppies.