Psalm 37 Commentary
A perfect fit for the Book of Proverbs and supremely enriched by the personal experiences of David, psalm 37 is a timeless treasure for the household of faith. It is home to a couple of poster verses that have blessed generations of believers down the ages.
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Or, “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.” Or, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”
There is more. It is a must-read for a generation that is struggling to reconcile the fact of God’s unlimited generosity and care with the present state of the saint. He is humbled by God’s spending limits. The grants come in slim installments. Clearly, the saint cannot compete with the freely flowing riches of the world. The wicked look top and never appear worried.
But that is exactly the point of this chapter. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many. Shocking? Yes. The little that you have is better than the wealth of the top 10 richest but wicked men in the world! You want to read this verse again.
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” The call is louder than ever before. There is safe pasture and unsafe pasture. Enjoy the safe pasture that the LORD provides. It should be a deliberate decision to start enjoying God’s menu. Challenge the world to look at your appearance after 10 days – the Daniel way. Look at yourself and marvel at how amazingly the LORD keeps His own.
Reflect on life and see how the LORD takes care of His own. You won’t stop watching this movie! The wicked man has a completely different story. It is not hidden. Their lives may have an appearance of success but it is all fake and very temporal. It is a smokescreen. Behind the men happily lifting bottles of liquor with wide smiles are broken marriages, unfulfilled desires, sleeplessness, anxiety, fear, meaninglessness, and emptiness.
Meanwhile, the LORD preserves His own even in moments of famine. Amen! “The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.”
The psalmist toggles between the present and the future. The present is defined by days under the LORD’s care. The future is defined by an inheritance that will endure forever. You wonder why the world won’t see this gloriously beautiful picture.
But the saint must know that the world is constantly presenting the good meal of the LORD Jesus Christ as tasteless and bad. At the same time, the terrible and horrific, and senseless life of the wicked is smeared in gold. This psalm is doing the exact opposite. You understand why men and women should be loving scriptures more than TV and social media, and football!
What a chapter!
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LOVING SCRIPTURE 