Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD
PSALMS 37: 1 10
1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD. And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday.
7 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 carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
SECURITY i.e.; SAFETY, PROTECTION, IMMUNITY, SHIELD, DEFENSE, INVULNERABILITY, SALVATION, SHELTER & REFUGE.
IN THESE VERSES WE ARE TOLD THREE THINGS NOT TO DO AND SIX TO DO, SO WE CAN HAVE THIS SECURITY. WE WILL LOOK FIRST AT THE DO’S.
I & 2. VERSE 3 Trust in the LORD and do good
* Confide in him; rest on him. Instead of allowing the mind to be disturbed and sad, because there are wicked men upon the earth; because they are prosperous and apparently happy; because they may injure you in your person or reputation, calmly confide in God. Leave all this in his hands. Feel that he rules, and that what he permits is wisely permitted; and that whatever may occur, it will all be overruled for his own glory and the good of the universe.
(a) If there are wicked men in the world, if wickedness abounds around us, there is the more reason for our endeavoring to do good. If others are doing evil, we should do good; if they are wicked, we cannot do a better work than to do good to them, for the best way of meeting the wickedness of the world is to do it good.
(b) The best way to keep the mind from complaining, and grumbling, is to be always engaged in doing good; to have the mind always occupied in something valuable and useful. Each one should have so much of his own to do that he will have no need to murmur and complain, to allow the mind to prey on itself, or to "corrode" for lack of good thoughts.
3. VERSE 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires of your heart.
*The "askings," or the "requests" of thy heart. What you really "desire" will be granted to you. That is,
(a) the fact that you seek your happiness in him will REGULATE your desires, so that you will be "disposed" to ask only those things which it will be proper for him to grant; and
(b) the fact that you DO find your happiness in him will be a reason why he will grant your desires. The fact that a child loves his father, and finds his happiness in doing his will, will do much to direct his own "wishes" or "desires," and will at the same time be a reason why the father will be disposed to comply with his requests.
4. VERSE 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
*Commit your way to the LORD, Hebrew, "Roll your way upon, the Lord." The idea is that of rolling a heavy burden from ourselves on another, or laying it upon him, so that he may bear it. The burden, which we have not got strength to bear we may lay on God. The term "way" means properly the act of treading or going; then, a way or path; then, a course of life, or the manner in which one lives; and the reference here is to the whole course of life, or all that can affect life; all our plans or conduct; all the issues or results of those plans. It is equivalent here to "lot" or "destiny." Everything, in regard to the manner in which we live, and all its results, are to be committed to the Lord. Hebrew, "He will do it." That is, He will bring it to a proper issue; He will secure a happy result. He will take care of your interests, and will not permit you to suffer, or to be ultimately wronged. The thing particularly referred to here, as appears from the next verse, is reputation or character.
5 & 6. VERSE 7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him
*Be silent to the Lord." The Hebrew word means to be mute, silent, still: Hence, to be silent to anyone; that is, to listen to him in silence; and the idea in the phrase here, ""be silent to Jehovah,"" is that of waiting in silent patience or confidence for his interposition; or, in other words, of leaving the whole matter with him without being anxious as to the result. For His bringing the matter to a proper issue. He may seem to delay long; it may appear strange that he does not interpose; you may wonder that he should suffer an innocent man to be thus accused and calumniated; but you are not to be anxious and troubled. God does not always interfere in behalf of the innocent at once; and there MAY BE valuable ends to accomplish in reference to yourself, in the discipline of your own spirit; in bringing out in your case the graces of gentleness, patience, and forgiveness; and in leading you to examine yourself and to understand your own character, which may make it proper that he should not interpose immediately.
THE SIX THINGS TO DO, TRUST, DO GOOD, DELIGHT, COMMIT, REST & WAIT.
NOW, THE THINGS NOT TO DO.
1. VERSE I Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
*Envy is pain, mortification, discontent, at the superior excellence or prosperity of others, accompanied often with some degree of malignant feeling, and with a disposition to detract from their merit. It is the result of a comparison of ourselves with others who are more highly gifted or favored, or who are more successful than we are ourselves. The feeling referred to here is that which springs up in the mind when we see persons of corrupt or wicked character prospered, while we, endeavoring to do right, are left to poverty, to disappointment, and to tears.
2. VERSE 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath
*Cease from anger. That is, in reference to the fact that there ARE wicked people and that they are permitted to carry out their plans. Do not allow your mind to be excited with envious, fretful, wrathful, or murmuring feelings against God because he bears patiently with them, and because they are allowed a temporary prosperity and triumph. Be calm, whatever may be the wickedness of the world. The supreme direction belongs to God, and he will dispose of it in the best way.
3. VERSES I Do not fret, 7 Do not fret & 8 Do not fret
*The Hebrew word here means properly to burn, to be kindled, to be inflamed, and is often applied to anger, as if under its influence we become "heated:" Hence, it means to fret oneself to be angry, or indignant. We should perhaps express the same idea by the word "worrying". The state of mind is that where we are worried or envious, because others are prosperous and successful, and we are not. Counsel for the Wise. Fret not thyself because of evildoers. The opening verse sets forth the basic maxim for a mature outlook: Don’t fret or be envious or angry about those who seem to prosper though wicked. Instead, the wise man will trust, do good, delight in, commit himself unto, rest in, and wait patiently for the Lord. Herein is the positive cure for indignation and envy. If we do the first six we will not want to do the last three.
PLAN OF SALVATION
ROMANS 10: 17
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
HEBREWS 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Acts 2:38
38 And Peter said to them, "Repent,
ROMANS 10:9 10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
MARK 16:16
16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
MATTHEW 7:21
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
*From Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft
