You Are Not the Only One

Psalms Chapter 37: Verses 21-31 #AnxietyFlees #Confidence #Trust #Blessings # Curses (Unless otherwise stated all Scriptures in this devotional are from the King James  Version of the Bible located on www.Biblegateway.com.)

Confidence in God Keeping His Word: Don’t give so you can be blessed. Give because you love God.  21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

The national debt is enormous. Health insurance premiums rise because folks will not or cannot pay their medical bills. This is not what this scripture is talking about. This verse is talking about intentionally running a business into the ground until it fails. Just about all businesses borrow money. A reckless CEO borrows without any intent to pay back what they have borrowed. How many corporations do you know that will file chapter XX instead of settling with their customers, and or employees. But a righteous CEO will be merciful, will stay afloat, and will give willingly to others. This ministry will not borrow money until it has enough members who are consistently giving to the ministry. It is called being fiscally responsible. Lewis addresses giving and its association with blessings. He defines giving as the “best kind of charity.” There is a tendency in many countries to associate giving with TV tele-evangelism. However, God demonstrates for His children what giving (Godly giving is all about). His word declares that a giver is an individual who is “He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and – [the benefit of this type of giving is?] his seed is blessed. My grandmother used to say, do not give anyone anything expecting to receive in kind. When you give money to someone, don’t expect it back. Give because there is a need your children’s children will be blessed. Why? Because we are now a part of Abraham’s seed. Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” Galatians 3:29 “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” 

David explained that God’s people are givers. His righteous seed are givers, “22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; (Rigteous givers are blessed and will inherit the earth.) On the other hand, those of us who hoard our money and do not support the Kingdom work of God on a consistent basis “and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.” This is not about using scare tactics to scare people to give. It is about obedience.  We have already discussed who will inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9 “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.” On the other hand, Longman extends the meaning of this scripture to David’s time and culture. Longman explained “The inheritance in mind here is the land of Israel that God gave to his people. In contrast, the wicked, who may prosper at present ( like the flowers of the field ), will go up in smoke. God will make sure this happens, since he takes care of the blameless and is an enemy to the wicked (Longman 2014, 179).

Psalm 1:6 “For the Lord knoweth the way [23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way,] of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. My friends, there is no path that you are on that God is not already there! He blesses you for your obedience to His Holy Word. When we decided to hand over the reigns of our lives over to God, He declared to the enemy “Can’t Touch This!” Do you remember what he said to the devil when he decided he was going to be the undoing of Job? Job 1:12 “And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.”

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. We are imperfect flesh and bones encasing the Holy Spirit.  We will fail. We will experience life challenges because of our flesh. So, God tells us . . . “24 Though he fall, [or fail] he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” 1 John 2:1 reminds us that we are His “. . . little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”  Grace covers it all! This is not an excuse for us to habitually sin and then run to Jesus and ask for forgiveness! Paul made that clear in Romans 6: 1-5 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” So, we do not glory in our “Christianity.” Instead, Galatians 6:14 reminds us that “[We] should glory, [only] in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.“

God takes care of His children.  It is impossible for many people to conceive this cultural nomenclature. Cayce explains it beautifully.

It is most natural to understand this literally, and to gather from it that the psalmist, whether David or another, composed this psalm in advanced life. It has certainly all the gravity, calmness, seriousness, and tone of authority which befit a teacher of many years and much experience.

“Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread“: The social condition of the Israelites was very unlike that of modern European communities. Though there were rich and poor among them, there could scarcely be any that were very poor. Where there was a general obligation upon all well-disposed persons to lend to such as were in need, and no interest could be asked upon loans. And in the year of jubilee, all debts were remitted, and mortgaged lands returned to their original owners or their families. Actual begging was scarcely possible, and at any rate could only be brought about by extreme and reckless misconduct (Cayce 2018, Psalms 37).

Scriptures to back up Cayce

• ²¹ Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: WHY? “for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. [Remember when the Europeans first landed on the soil of The Americas? Who took care of them? Before immigration laws were put in place, many people’s ancestors came here as strangers. Many came here illegally even after the immigration laws were put in place!] Israel still lives by this code!
• ²² Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.²³ If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;²⁴ And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. [Remember that this is God talking to Israel!]
• ²⁵ If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury [interest].
• ²⁶ If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:²⁷ For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. These are the social laws that modern man would call socialism. So, are we calling God a socialist now? Just asking.
• What’s more in Exodus 24:3 the people told God that “And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.” This is why Israel is so blessed. This is why men who own companies like Chick-Fil-A are so blessed. I know that the more I gave, the more God blessed me. I never gave to gain recognition. Also, I didn’t give just so He could bless me. It is my Christian responsibility to help to take care of others as much as I can.

• 27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore [because}.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Verses 29-31 speak to the lifestyle of a righteous man. According to Lawson 2004,  David reminded the righteous to turn from evil and do good. This is a call for a lifestyle of repentance, separation, and holiness. A person who does this will always live securely, knowing God’s protection and provision. David was assured that God would not forsake his faithful ones. The wicked would be cut off in judgment, but the righteous would be protected forever and inherit and dwell in the land throughout future generations (p. 212).

The one thing that reveals who we are in our hearts are the words we speak and the attitude with which we express them. The same thing goes for social media. When it is evident that it is all about us, folks know that we are not doing what we are doing for the kingdom’s sake, but for our own. It has been many years since our dear Wynn went home to Jesus. I still remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning one morning only to find her awake too. She was rattling on about something that someone had said, done, and continued to say and do. It was not until she used the words“God complex” that I realized how serious the situation was and why I was awakened. We are reminded in Matthew 12:34-35 why it is important to temper our words. Think before we type, text, call, or speak! “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

When “31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” We will “mess up” as my granddaughter will say, but God sees our hearts. We are not like the wicked because His light is in us.

References

Cayce, Ken. 2017. “Books of the Bible.”  http://www.bible-studys.org/About%20Me.html. Accessed October 5, 2018.

Lawson, Steven. 2004. Holman Old Testament Commentary – Psalms. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group. Accessed October 5, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Longman, Tremper, III. 2014. Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Accessed October 5, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.