Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Psalms 3 (6)
Pray Psalm 37.34-37.
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.
Sing Psalm 37.34-37.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
Wait on the LORD, His way observing, and He will lift you up on high.
Those prone to wicked ways preserving, your eyes shall see cast down to die.
The blameless man shall stand upright, for God preserves him by His might!
Salvation comes from Christ our Savior; He is our strength in time of need.
On us does He bestow His favor, who all His holy judgments heed.
He is our help in troubled times; our refuge He, in Him we hide.
Read Psalm 37.1-40; meditate on verses 3-9.
Preparation
1. What instructions are given in verses 3-9?
2. What promises?
Meditation
Psalm 37 is interesting for our purposes for several reasons. First, David exhorts himself and others to renew delight and trust in the LORD (vv. 1-5, 7). He will guide us in the way and bring forth righteousness and justice in us (vv. 5, 6, 23, 24). We must not worry about those who wish us ill, because the LORD has already determined their destruction (vv. 7-10, 12-15).
Second, promises are renewed and, in the process, previous psalms are referred to which add strength to the primary message of this psalm. Thus, the LORD laughing at the rebellious and the wicked (v. 13) recalls Psalm 2, where He points the wicked to Jesus. He “knows the days of the upright” (v. 18) recalls Psalm 1 and the promise of eternal life. The mention of “the land” (or “the earth”) also recalls the promises to Abraham, which are frequently glanced in many psalms.
Jesus drew from Psalm 37 in His sermon on the mount (v. 11, cf. Matt. 5.5). Those who walk meekly and uprightly shall gain an eternal inheritance (v. 18) and shall not be ashamed at the judgment of the wicked (vv. 19, 20).
Finally, the psalm points to the Righteous One (v. 30) Who has wisdom in His mouth and justice on His tongue. The Law of God is in His heart, and He will never turn from following God’s Word. Though the wicked try to destroy Him, the LORD will preserve Him against the false justice of men (vv. 32, 33).
He is a Savior to wait on, rest in, delight in and trust, for He gives us the salvation of the LORD and strengthens us in all our times of trouble (vv. 39, 40).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Trust in the LORD,”
(not in wealth or power or politics or health or friendships or happiness, or whatever)
“and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,”
(not in relationships, politics, games, vacations, money, fame, popularity, or whatever)
“and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37.3, 4).
Put your Trust and find Delight only in Him.
Contrast that with this scenario:
“Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.
They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel,
but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert.
And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Ps. 106.12-15).
Their trust and delight focused on their bodily wants and needs.
Their request was for physical ease and full bellies, and whatever.
Our present life and eternal future are sewed up carefully, neatly, and securely in God our Savior.
“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose” (Ps. 20.4) when your desires and purpose mirror His desires and purpose for you.
“Oh, LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (Ps. 84.12)
But we must be carefully mindful of our heart’s desires, because, as Paul warned:
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,
but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6.7-10).
We are to imitate Christ, as Paul did (1 Cor. 11.1), and pay attention to the purposes for which Jesus spent His time on earth:
“My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work” (Jn. 4.34; 19.30).
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?
But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name’” (Jn. 12.27, 28).
“…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19.10).
Obviously, we cannot die to redeem and save others; only Jesus could do that.
But His desires and purpose centered on what He had been called to do, and why.
And to be pleasing and obedient to His Father.
That, too, is our purpose and calling—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Catechism).
In doing the work we have been called to do, we glorify Him. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2.10).
“The law of his God is in his heart…
Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land…
Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace” (Ps. 37.31, 34, 37).
With Christ—Always Victorious.
Reflection
1. How would you explain to a new believer what it means to trust in the Lord?
2. Would you say that you “delight” in the Lord? How?
3. If we think of “land” or “earth” in terms of our own Personal Mission Field, how should we comport ourselves there to make progress in gaining it for the Lord? What does that mean and why is it so important?
To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. He has not promised to gratify the appetites of the body, and the humors of the fancy, but the desires of the renewed, sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and serve God. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Psalm 37.1-6
Pray Psalm 37.1-9.
Pray that the Lord will enable you to know a greater measure of our great salvation. Renew trust and delight in the Lord by meditating on Him, exalted in glory. Commit the details of your day to the Lord, to know, love, and serve Him in them all.
Sing Psalm 37.1-9.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
Let not the wicked make you worry; envy not those who break God’s Word.
Like dying grass will they be sorry, and fade like every dying herb.
Trust in the LORD and do His will; dwell in His grace, be faithful still.
Delight yourself in God’s salvation; He’ll give you all your heart’s desire.
Commit to Him your every station, and His good purpose will transpire.
Your righteousness a blazing light He will bring forth against the night.
Rest in the LORD and wait on Jesus; fret not at those who practice sin.
Forsake all wrath till anger ceases; let anxious fears not enter in.
The wicked perish from the LORD, but they are blessed who heed His Word!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For more teaching about the subject of this series, “Jesus throughout the Scriptures”, download our free ReVision study, “We Would See Jesus”, by clicking here.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
