Read the Book: April - JuneSample

Week 16

Psalm 37

Delighting In Him

It can be difficult when we see people who do not love God who seem to be “doing better” than people of faith. We may find ourselves asking why, asking, “Lord, I try to honor and serve you and lead my family well… why do we struggle while others who openly slander your name seem to prosper?”

The Psalmist reassures us that God is in control and that He rewards the righteous and ultimately judges the wicked. We are reminded that we are living for the eternal and not the temporal. While the wicked might prosper in the here and now, “the wicked will perish” and “transgressors shall be altogether destroyed.” We may suffer in the here and now, but “the Lord upholds the righteous” and “the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.” This righteousness is a gift of God through His Son. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” And this is good news! 

There are three things the Psalmist calls on us to do in the midst of these circumstances when we feel our suffering is at an all-time high. 

Number one: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” As we delight in Him and our hearts are conformed to His, His delights become our delights. 

Number two: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” We must commit ourselves to God’s plan and trust Him knowing His way is always the best. 

Number three: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Waiting can be difficult, but we are not to worry; rather, we are to wait patiently on the Lord, knowing His will and timing are perfect.

Family Connection: Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you thought "this is not fair!"? Talk about this as a family! In Psalm 37, David writes about this and he teaches us how we can respond. Read Psalm 37:1-11. God sees what's going on and He cares! David assures us that we can trust God's righteousness and justice.