Roots

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

Today, we will finish our meditation on Psalm 37. As with the last few days, I've included the entire psalm in the reading. Today, we'll focus our thoughts primarily on verses 35-40.

1        Do not fret because of those who are evil

    or be envious of those who do wrong;

2        for like the grass they will soon wither,

    like green plants they will soon die away.

3        Trust in the LORD and do good;

    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4        Take delight in the LORD,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5        Commit your way to the LORD;

    trust in him and he will act.

6        He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

    and your justice as the noonday.

7        Be still before the LORD

    and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8        Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

    do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9        For those who are evil will be destroyed,

    but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10      A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

    though you look for them, they will not be found.

11      But the meek will inherit the land

    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

12      The wicked plot against the righteous

    and gnash their teeth at them;

13      but the LORD laughs at the wicked,

    for he knows their day is coming.

14      The wicked draw the sword

    and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

    to slay those whose ways are upright.

15      But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

    and their bows will be broken.

16      Better the little that the righteous have

    than the wealth of many wicked;

17      for the power of the wicked will be broken,

    but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18      The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,

    and their inheritance will endure forever.

19      In times of disaster they will not wither;

    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20      But the wicked will perish:

    Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,

    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21      The wicked borrow and do not repay,

    but the righteous give generously;

22      those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,

    but those he curses will be destroyed.

23      The LORD makes firm the steps

    of the one who delights in him;

24      though he may stumble, he will not fall,

    for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25      I was young and now I am old,

    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

    or their children begging bread.

26      They are always generous and lend freely;

    their children will be a blessing.

27      Turn from evil and do good;

    then you will dwell in the land forever.

28      For the LORD loves the just

    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;

    the offspring of the wicked will perish.

29      The righteous will inherit the land

    and dwell in it forever.

30      The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,

    and their tongues speak what is just.

31      The law of their God is in their hearts;

    their feet do not slip.

32      The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

    intent on putting them to death;

33      but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked

    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34      Hope in the LORD

    and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35      I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

36      but he soon passed away and was no more;

    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37      Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

    a future awaits those who seek peace.

38      But all sinners will be destroyed;

    there will be no future for the wicked.

39      The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;

    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40      The LORD helps them and delivers them;

    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

    because they take refuge in him. (Psalm 37, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

As David finished Psalm 37, he described two kinds of people and what would happen to them. First, he described the powerful. “I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but soon he passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found” (verses 35–36). The powerful are rooted in this world. They are like a tree that looks strong and stable. One day a storm comes and blows the tree over. It is then cut up for kindling and is gone. If you are rooted in this world, you have no security, for everything here is temporary. But if you are rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ, your life has the permanence of eternity. (For a similar analogy see Matthew 7:24-27).  Jeremiah beautifully describes the person who is rooted in Christ: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Don’t envy the powerful or those whose names are blazoned abroad. Don’t worry about what happens to this crowd. God tells us what happens: They could not be found; they’re gone. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). That’s why it’s important to look to the Lord in faith—to “trust in the Lord and do good”… to “take delight in the Lord”… to “commit your way to the Lord”… to “wait for the Lord."

Second, David described the perfect person. “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace” (verse 37). The future of the powerful is destruction; the future of the perfect is peace. The word “blameless” doesn’t mean “sinless.” Nobody is sinless. Instead, David meant the sincere person, the wholehearted person, the person who practices Matthew 6:33—“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” When we are “blameless” in Christ—accepted in the Beloved One—we have peace, we have strength, and we have joy and delight of walking in God's presence. “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him” (verses 39-40).

Today, don’t walk by sight, looking at the luxuriant native tree. Walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Remember that you are a foreigner and stranger on earth. In Christ, you are a citizen of a heavenly country (Hebrews 11:13-16). Therefore, take refuge in the Lord. Look to him for grace and strength and wisdom. Be blameless in the Lord, and he’ll bless you with the peace that comes from his presence.

POINT TO PONDER:

Our spiritual root system is important to our spiritual well-being. Where we send our roots will determine which resources we will draw from. Are you rooted in the world or in Jesus Christ? Are you living by faith or sight? Trust in the resources you have in Christ and grow in his grace.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and when I initially read this psalm I defined “the wicked” as people who do really bad things—murderers, fornicators, drug dealers, rapists, etc. But then, the Lord reminded me that anything not done in faith is sin (Romans 14:22-23). Therefore, “the wicked” could be defined as anyone—even a “good person”—who refuses to live by faith. “The wicked” are people who live in their own strength—who rely upon their own wisdom, strength, talents, etc. “The wicked” are people who operate according to the world's ways—who live selfishly, put their hope in financial prosperity, retaliate when wronged, etc. Redefining “the wicked” in those terms really caused this psalm to hit home with me. Thinking of “the wicked” in this way caused me to realize that I sometimes live in a way that could be described as “wicked.” If I'm really honest, I have to admit that I oftentimes refuse to live in faith. I don't necessarily do this intentionally, but I sort of “drift” into living by my own strength. I suppose I have a natural tendency to trust in myself more than I trust in God—even when it comes to doing “spiritual things” such as leading Bible studies, preaching, and ministering to others. I've found that apart from God's grace, it's nearly impossible to live by faith. I've come to believe that we constantly need God's guidance, inspiration, and strength just to look to him in faith. But, when we simply and honestly and sincerely embrace his promises and seek to live in faith—when we place our confidence in him rather than ourselves—he delights to fill our hearts with his peace. And the more he fills our hearts with peace, the easier it becomes to trust him and live according to his ways.