SOUL FOOD: Psalm 37 - 05.07.10

Poetic language empowers us to express our heart toward God about our joy's, pains, thanksgiving and complaints. This genre also teaches us to live by the wisdom of God. 

READ: Psalm 37 What are some of the repeated themes that David expresses in this Psalm?

Psa. 37:5 Commit everything to the Lord; Trust Him and discover what's best happens. 
Psa. 37:5 (KJV) Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 
Psa. 37:5 (TEV) Give yourself to the LORD; trust in him, and he will help you; 
Psa. 37:5 (NLT) Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. 

THE JOYS OF TRUST (PS. 37)

No psalm has more comforting verses, more verses inviting lengthy meditation. 

No psalm has more verses that speak so directly to the human heart. Because 

of this, it's almost sacrilege to analyze this psalm: to break its thoughts apart,

to look for similarities and themes. And yet, how much this psalm tells us 

about the nature, and about the benefits, of trust. If we seek to probe the 

nature of trust, we find in this psalm that trust is:Looking to God and doing 

good (v. 3). 

Delighting in the LORD (v. 4).
Committing our way to the LORD (v. 5).
Not fretting when the wicked succeed (v. 7).
Refraining from anger and wrath (v. 8).
Being satisfied with little (v. 16).
Giving generously to others (v. 21).
Turning from evil to do good (v. 27).
Planting God's Law in our hearts (v. 31).
Waiting for the LORD (v. 34).
Keeping His way (v. 34).
Taking refuge in the LORD (v. 40).
Trust is in fact a way of life, the way of life we choose when we commit 

ourselves to the LORD. This same psalm reveals the outcome of trust. One 

who actively commits himself to the LORD can expect these benefits: 
To enjoy safe pastures (v. 3).
To receive the desires of his heart (v. 4).
To be vindicated (vv. 5-6).
To inherit the land (vv. 9, 22, 34).
To enjoy great peace (v. 11).
To be upheld by God (v. 17).
To gain an enduring inheritance (v. 18).
To enjoy plenty in days of famine (v. 19).
To be upheld by the LORD (v. 24).
To always live securely (v. 27).
To never be forsaken by God (v. 28).
To not slip (v. 31).
To see the wicked cut off (v. 34).
To have a future (v. 37).
To be helped and delivered by the LORD (v. 40).
The beauty of this psalm aside, its teaching is vital to our well-being. Only by 

an active trust in God, expressed in the choices made each day of our lives, 

can we experience the many benefits of a personal relationship with the LORD.

37:1

We should never envy evil people, even though some may be extremely popular

or excessively rich. No matter how much they have, it will fade and vanish like

grass that withers and dies. Those who follow God live differently from the 

wicked and, in the end, will have treasures in heaven. What an unbeliever gets

on earth may last a lifetime, but what you get from following God lasts forever. 

37:4,5

David calls us to take delight in the Lord and to commit everything we have and

do to him. But how do we do this? To delight in someone means to experience

great pleasures and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we 

know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know him better. 

Knowledge of God's great live for us will indeed give us delight. 

To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything--our lives, 

families, jobs, possessions -- to his control and guidance. To commit ourselves 

to the Lord means to trust in Him (37:5), believing that he can care for us 

better than we can ourselves. We should be willing to wait patiently (37:7) 

for him to work out what is best for us. 

37:8,9

Anger, rage and losing our temper are very destructive emotions. They reveal 

a lack of faith that God loves us and is in control. We should not worry; 

instead, we should trust in God, giving ourselves to him for his use and 

safekeeping. When you dwell on your problems, you will become anxious and 

angry. But if you concentrate on God and his goodness, you will find peace.  

Where do you focus your attention?  

37:11

Being lowly hardly seems the proper demeanor to deal with enemies. God's 

warfare, however, must be carried out with calm faith, humility before God, 

and hope in his deliverance. Jesus also promises a sure reward for those with

humble attitudes (Matthew 5:5)

37:21

You can tell a lot about a person's character by the way she handles money. 

The wicked person steals under the guise of borrowing. The righteous person 

gives generously to the needy. Wicked people, therefore, focus on themselves,

while righteous people look to the welfare of others. 

37:23, 24

The person in whom God delights is one who follows God, trusts him, and tries

to do his will. God watches over and makes firm every step that a person takes.

If you would like to have God direct your way, then seek his advice before you 

step out.

37:25

Because children starve today, as they did in David's time, what did David 

mean by these words? The children of the righteous need not go hungry 

because other believers should help them in their time of need. In David's day,

Israel obeyed God's laws, which endured that the poor were treated fairly and 

mercifully. As long as Israel was obedient, food would be available for 

everyone. When Israel forgot God, the rich took care of themselves only, and

the poor suffered. (Amos 2:6,7) When we see a Christian brother or sister 

suffering today we can respond in one of three ways:

(1) We can say, as Job's friends did, that the afflicted person brought this on himself.

(2) We can say that this is a test to help the person develop more patience and trust in God. 

(3) We can help the person in need.

David would approve of only the last option. Although many governments today

have their own programs for helping those in need, this is no excuse for 

ignoring the poor and needy within our reach. 

REFLECT: What are some of the themes in Psalm 37 that resonate with your current 

situation?

The literal meaning of this verse is: "Roll your way onto God and trust upon Him, and He works." 

This brings to our attention the immediacy of God's action once we commit, or "roll," burdens of 

any kind from our hands into His. Whether our burden is a sorrow, difficulty, physical need, or 

concern over the salvation of a loved one, "He works." When does He work? "He works" now. We 

act as if God does not immediately accept our trust in Him and thereby delays accomplishing what

we ask Him to do. We fail to understand that "He works" as we commit. "He works" now! Praise 

Him for the fact that this is true. Our expectation that He will work is the very thing enabling the 

Holy Spirit to accomplish what we have "rolled" onto Him.... "He works!" Take comfort from  

this and do not try to pick it up again. What a relief there is in knowing He really is at work on our

difficulty! And when someone says, "But I don't see any results," pay him no attention. "He works"

if you have "rolled" your burdens onto Him and are "looking unto Jesus" (Heb. 12:2 KJV) to do it. 

Your faith may be tested, but "He works."  His Word is true! 

RESPOND: Copy a portion of this Psalm that you find most enriching and send it out to as many people 

as you can as encouragement to their souls (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc) 

"The Lord directs the steps of godly. 

He delights in every detail of their lives. 

Through they stumble, they will never fall,

for the Lord holds them by the hand." Psalm 37:23,24