Musings and Contemplations

O send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me and bring me to your holy hill, and to your dwelling.[1]

The Heritage of the Righteous

Psalm 37:1-17 NKJV
Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

This psalm is written by David late in life. It is his counsel to others after a life of God’s faithfulness. He urges the saints to glorify God in the ordinary, to dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. He reminds believers to have perspective. The wicked may prosper and plot against the righteous, but God will triumph against them in the end. So, the godly are generous, meditate on God’s Word, and hope in Him. Ultimately, as our Lord echoes, the humble will inherit the earth.[2]

R. E. O. White
It is foolish to fret or grow angry; this tends only to evil. The people of God, in such a time, should steadfastly maintain their inward resources, their independence, their lifestyle. To do this, they should trust and delight themselves in the Lord; commit their way to him; be still before him; wait upon him. They will be stronger if they do not seek to defend themselves, but rely upon God for vindication, upholding, provision, stronghold, refuge, and salvation. Meanwhile, they should persist in doing good, not letting external pressures change their conduct.^[3]

The New City Catechism Question #52
What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
It reminds us that this present fallen world is not all there is. Soon we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new city, in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be fully and forever freed from all sin and will inhabit renewed, resurrection bodies in a renewed, restored creation.[4]

O God, the Author and Fountain of all goodness, who governs the whole world by Thy marvelous wisdom; Suffer not that we be any wise moved by the prosperous success of the ungodly, but that we may the rather give ourselves wholly to Thy service, and to continual meditation of Thy holy law, that in the end we may completely find Thee to be our Savior and Redeemer, when You shall come to judge the whole world through Thy well-beloved Son, Christ Jesus. Amen.[5]

God Leads Us Along

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.[6]

[1] Psalm 43:3 Coverdale Psalter
[2] Commentary on Psalm 37, Psalms of Grace, The Master’s Seminary Press, 2022.
^[3] R. E. O. White, “Psalms,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 379–380.
[4] The New City Catechism Devotional, 2017, p. 223.
[5] Prayer based on Psalm 37, Psalms of Grace, The Master’s Seminary Press, 2022.
[6] Romans 15:13