It may be, beloved friends, that there is a word of comfort for some of you in this «Psalm of David.» If any of you have been perplexed and worried, and there has been a stern conflict within your spirit, here are some cheering words which will bring a message from God to you.It may be worth your while to remember that the 37 th Psalm and the 73 rd are upon the same subject. They are the same figures reversed, but they both deal with the great mystery which has vexed the hearts of godly men in all generations.
Psalms 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
What a contrast there is between the grass before the mower comes with his scythe, and that same grass when it is cut down; and there is the same kind of difference between the glory of ungodly men at one moment and their destruction the next. How beautiful the fertile mead appears before you with its many-colored flowers, yet in how short a time all its beauties are cut down, and withered in the sun!
Psalms 37:3-4. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
The psalmist begins with «Fret not thyself,... neither be thou envious;» but he advances to something higher. He seeks to lead his hearer or reader up to «trust in the Lord,» and then still further up to «delight in the Lord.» A Christian should constantly be on the rising scale; though he is ever in the way of change, it should be a change for the better. Take care, dear friends, that you are people of simple trust: «Trust in the Lord;» and then you shall advance to delight in him: «Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.»
Psalms 37:5-6. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
It may be very dark with you just now, but God will turn your midnight into noonday. It is only he who can do it, therefore be sure to commit your way unto him; «trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.»
Psalms 37:7. Rest in the LORD,
Not only rest on him, but rest in him, get into such close fellowship with him that you do really «rest in the Lord,»
Psalms 37:7-8. And wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
It is fretting that leads to anger and all manner of evil; but when the heart truly rests in God, it forsakes wrath. When we get away from resting in the Lord, we soon drift out upon a very stormy sea, where our poor little skiffs are not able to hold their own; therefore is it most needful for us to obey the injunction, «Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.»
Psalms 37:9-10. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
The very house he inhabited, the grand estate which he called his own, shall be called by the name of another owner, and he shall be blotted out of remembrance.
Psalms 37:11-15. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
They were so eager «to cast down the poor and needy» that they used both sword and bow against them, yet they could not succeed in their evil designs; for God took care of his own people, and therefore the psalmist was able to say concerning their enemies, «Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.»
Psalms 37:16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
«Many wicked.» That is a strong expression; the psalmist does not merely mention the riches of one wicked man, but he says, «A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.»
Psalms 37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
He keeps on upholding them. He holds them up, and in another sense he lifts them up on high, and holds them up near to himself in the glorious sunshine of fellowship with him.
Psalms 37:18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:
He is well acquainted with their bright days and their dark days. He keeps a diary of all their ever-changing experiences: «The Lord knoweth the days of the upright»:
Psalms 37:18. And their inheritance shall be for ever.
There is a necessity upon covenant blessings, which ensures their enjoyment by all the chosen seed, and they shall never be taken from them: «Their inheritance shall be for ever.»
Psalms 37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
They shall not only get, as we say, «a sup and a bite,» but «they shall be satisfied,» and that even «in the days of famine,» when other people starve. They are well fed whom God feeds; there is no table like the one furnished and supplied by Omnipotence. He who is infinite in resources can readily supply all our necessities.
Psalms 37:20-21. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
He prefers to do that rather than to lend; it generally comes to the same thing in the long run, and he may as well know from the first what he is really doing: «The righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.»
Psalms 37:22-23. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
What a beautiful expression that is, «the steps of a good man» the very steps, the little things, the daily actions, the ordinary progress of a good man, «The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.» Our way is sometimes rough, but if God takes a delight in it, it must be right. It is a joy to us to know that the lives of godly men are delightful to the Most High.
Psalms 37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
There may be a stumble, or even a fall, and he will grieve over it; he may suffer great losses, and he may think that there is an end to his mercies, but it shall not be so. God's servants are like the sheep; they may fall many times, but they are soon up again. Hypocrites are like the swine; when they fall, they wallow in the mire, which is their congenial element.
Psalms 37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
David had not seen the seed of the righteous begging bread, but we have often seen it; for, when the seed of the righteous do not behave themselves aright, they have to suffer poverty as well as other people. But, under the old covenant, David could truly say that he had not seen this grievous sight. Yet many of us could go as far as David did in the first part of the verse: «I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.» No, that shall never be the case; and it is a very singular circumstance, which they who have to distribute charity have often noticed, how seldom, comparatively, do they find godly people very greatly reduced. Somehow or other, God does provide for them. The trouble we have with our Orphanages is to find the orphans of godly men and women, for they are very few compared with those of other people, You may look over any list you like, and you shall find that very seldom are the saints reduced to absolute poverty. Yet, when poverty does come, and it does come to some of the very best of men and women, then God blesses it to them, and bears them up beneath it, so that they do not really lack any good thing. As for the gracious man,
Psalms 37:26-37. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh 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 thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
When you come to sum up the whole of his life, the total of it amounts to this, «peace.» After all his varied experiences, God did give him rest; and with all the turmoil and tossing which came upon him occasionally, still he was a man to be envied. It is the end to which we must always look, after all; and concerning the perfect and upright man the psalmist says, «the end of that man is peace.»
Psalms 37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:
It is not the result of their own goodness or merit; but it is wholly «of the Lord.» Righteous men are saved men because the Lord saves them by his grace, and that is where they put their confidence.
Psalms 37:39. He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Dwell on that sweet short sentence. Not only does the Lord give them strength, but he himself «is their strength in the time of trouble.» He is so near to his people that all the omnipotence of his Godhead is theirs. Are you in trouble just now, dear child of God? Well, you have strength enough to carry you through it all if this be true, as it is «He is their strength in the time of trouble.» If God himself is your strength, do not talk about being weak; of course you are weakness itself apart from him, do not expect to be anything other than that; but then remember the psalmist's declaration, «He is their strength in the time of trouble.»
Psalms 37:40. And the LORD shall help them,
Do you want anything more than this great promise? You have a heavy load to carry, but it is nothing to him who is omnipotent: «The Lord shall help them,»
Psalms 37:40. And deliver them:
He shall help them while they are in the trouble, and bring them out of it in due time.
Psalms 37:40. He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
O dear friends, lean hard upon God! Lay down all your burdens at your Saviour's feet, and rest there in holy and happy confidence in him. May the Lord give to all of us the grace to enjoy this sweet rest, for his dear Son's sake. Amen.