Psalm Chapter 37: Verses 32-40

Psalms Chapter 37: Verses 32-40 #Wicked #Righteous #condemn #deliver #Righteous #Hope #Trust (Unless otherwise stated all Scriptures in this devotional are from the King James Version of the Bible.) See Also:

Wickedness Will Prevail, but Only for a Season

32 [Although;] The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

They have no power over the righteous. According to David, Psalm 10:8-9 ^“He [the wicked] sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.”

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

The wicked [the scripture states that they are persons “in great power”] but will not prevail,] it may even appear that they are growing prolifically, but they will not last into eternity like the righteous. Do you remember Haman? He despised Mordecai. So he plotted to kill him. Esther 3: 3-6

3 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

²And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

³Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?

⁴Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

⁵And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

⁶And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

Haman was sure that he was secure in his position in the palace. He did not know that God had plans for His people. Like Saul, he plotted to murder Mordecai. But look at what happened!

Esther 7: 9-10

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.”

Never plot against a holy servant of God Almighty. You will reap the wrath of God. You may not be able to sleep peacefully. No matter what you try, you may find yourself miserable from worry. If that is happening to you, consider who you may have offended. Do what Job’s friends, who pillaged his character, had to do. Repent and ask for forgiveness. Psalm 37 is about being real with real. It is about knowing your enemy but never fearing him! Why?

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. They have no power over the righteous. According to David, Psalm 10:8-9 ^“He [the wicked] sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.”

The Blessing of a Righteous Man

33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 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.

It is crucial to note the nature of the righteous and the blessings attached to their integrity. Remember Stephen the first Christian martyr? What did he say to God about his murderers? Good gracious, Stephen, who was being stoned to death by the people who thought they were doing God a favor. Acts 6:60 ^“And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” What would we do if we were being threatened by the ungodly? I sincerely hope that I will do exactly what Stephen did. He took the high road.

The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor [Stephen-God inside of him did not condemn the people the Jews who were murdering him] when he [was] judged.” Stephen’s mouth spoke wisdom and asked for mercy because God dwells in his heart, and he is allowing God to speak through him. Stephen was headed to glory. Paul’s time was coming sooner rather than later. Even the court of social media, texting, e-mails, and Messenger, the righteous must “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.”

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them because they trust in him.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Jesus told his children about this beautiful, glorious, gift of peace. In John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The offers us worry and confusion. Christ has given us peace. Why is that? Seriously, we live in a world that is filled with hatred and war. Here is why! “39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.”

Ok, so what is the time of trouble that modern-day Christians could possibly be experiencing right now? We know that no human being is perfect. We can say that we strive to live upright lives. We can state that the Power of God lives in us and therefore, we are a launchable spiritual missile aimed at the heart of the enemy. Consequently, He will help us to develop attitudes of a naysayer.

Depression will come knocking at the door, and we will open the door and welcome it in. For some folks, depression is a chemical imbalance. For others, it is an attack from the pit of hell, and we need to send it back to where it came from.

For some of us, it is the “thorn in our flesh” that Paul had. It is to be noted that Paul had that thorn because of the abundance of revelations that God gave to him. The devil wanted him silenced-maybe, but the scripture clearly states why.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Paul knew that he was gifted. He saw things that people wish that they could see. His relationship with the Lord was intense. No one has been this gifted since Paul’s time.

Today, some have the ability to see what is happening in people’s lives. Sometimes the individuals will accept the advice, sometimes they will not. Even when the person has helped them, they will deny the part that the individual played in turning their lives around. But to the person whom God used it should not matter. A life was changed for God’s glory. I I am convinced that we will never understand some of the things that have happened in our lives until God explains them to us. We just need to stand on faith! Trust in Him. Why?

“39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.”

[Know that you Abba cares about you more than the owner of a 1,000 camels on a hill. Or, the wealthiest billionaire on planet earth.] Again, I ask why? Because “40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, [ the caveat?] because they trust in him.”

We can’t just trust Him when things are going well. We MUST trust Him when the pain is so intense that you just want to remove the part of your body that is in so much pain.

We can’t just trust Him when we are emotionally and physically healthy. Why am I saying this? Look at what happened to Job! He was the wealthiest man alive. His relationship with God was above reproach. The enemy said, “Yeah right, just let me give him a disease for which there is no cure. Then let’s see how he trusts you!” God told him to have at it!

His body was so covered with sores that he had to scrape off the oozing puss with a piece of broken pottery. Job 2:7-8 “So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.”

Job’s wife was like. Job 2:9 “Get over it already. We have lost everything. Just tell God where to go and die! [Paraphrased.]”

Job trusted God. He did not understand why he had that horrible disease.

What do you have?

Arthritis?

Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Cancer?

Lupus?

Fibromyalgia

Anxiety?

Vertigo?

Diabetes?

Hypertension?

Heart disease?

An invisible disease that no one understands?

MS

Have you lost the love of your life?

Verse 10 “But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Lawson concluded, “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD. This divine rescue comes because the LORD is the stronghold (Heb. maoz, “a strong fortified place”) for all who take refuge in him” (Lawson 2004, 212.)

Isaiah 12 ESV

The Lord Is My Strength and My Song

1 You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.

2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.

6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”