Psalm 37 is a beautifully written and instructive passage on what the Lord wants us to do to obtain spiritual blessing and a rejuvenated faith. We may not always know what career, relationship, or ministry we should pursue. Still, there are clear instructions on what the Lord expects of us and how He will reward our obedience.
1. Trust and do good.
The Lord clearly tells us to trust in Him. As hard as it can be to relinquish control there is such relief in obeying this command.
Instead of dwelling on how we are going to orchestrate our lives, we can let go and focus on doing good instead. When we turn our eyes off our own problems and focus on serving others we can have great peace.
“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”
Psalm 37:3
2. Take delight in the Lord.
I love that the Lord asks us to delight in Him! What He is really asking is for us to find contentment and satisfaction in Him.
When we put Him first God says He will give us the desires of our heart. That does not mean He will make us a millionaire or give us more material things. Rather, when we delight in the Lord, our heart’s desires will grow closer to His own desires for our life and He will take care of us.
“Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
3. Commit your way to Him.
We are to commit the whole of our life to Him. In The Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon states that we are to “roll the whole burden of life upon the Lord” instead of taking it upon ourselves. He goes on to say that, “Our destiny shall be joyfully accomplished if we confidently entrust all to our Lord.” How wonderful is that!
“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.”
Psalm 37:5-6
4. Be still and patient.
So rarely do we take the time to be still and simply wait before the Lord. Our lives are hallmarked by busyness and so often our time with the Lord is done in haste.
Yet, Warren Wiersbe states in his Bible commentary that we cannot know the peace of the Lord unless we learn to wait silently before Him. We are also asked to wait patiently for the Lord. This involves peacefully surrendering to God’s timeline and putting our confidence in Him.
“Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Psalm 37:7
5. Do not be angry or fretful.
As Christians, we should pursue holiness and turn from sin. When God tells us not to do something we should listen up! He is trying to protect because He loves us.
We may excuse anger or worry as natural emotions but we shouldn’t. Next time when we are tempted to be angry or worried we can choose to diffuse anger with mercy and worry with trust. If our anger is directed toward God or His providential plan, we must ground ourselves in the truths of God’s nature and the faithfulness of His character.
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
Psalm 37:8
6. Hope in the Lord
It is so easy to put our hope in ourselves, our abilities and plans. Yet, our plans can come tumbling down like the walls of Jericho without God’s hand in them.
“Hoping in God does not come naturally for sinners like us. We must preach it to ourselves, and preach diligently and forcefully, or we will give way to a downcast and disquieted spirit.”
John Piper
When we put our hope in the Lord we will not be dismayed because our hope in Him is a sure confidence that God’s promises are true.
“For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”
Psalm 37:8
How many of these action steps are you acting on in your life? Are you remembering to trust and do good, to take delight in the Lord and commit your way to Him?
Are you remembering to be still and wait patiently for Him? Lastly, are you forsaking anger and worry and instead choosing to put your hope into our mighty God?
How wonderfully blessed we are to read the word of God and there find instruction and encouragement for our life. May God bless you as you endeavor to serve Him.
