Psalm 37:27-40 NKJV
27 Depart from evil, and do good;
And dwell forevermore.
28 For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
And his tongue talks of justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watches the righteous,
And seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand,
Nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the Lord,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them,
Because they trust in Him.
David finishes his description of the righteous in these final verses of Psalm 37. And his description is also accompanied by the command and encouragement to put into practice the righteous ways he describes.
To live as God’s holy children is to put to death the Old Man every day, with all sins and evil desires, and to let the New Man arise to live before God in righteousness and purity. Why? Because the LORD, our Father in heaven, loves justice. He loves to see His children eagerly pursuing works of love and kindness, avoiding evil and doing what’s right. And Christians are not on our own when we do good. No, the LORD “does not forsake His saints.” He gladly walks with us. He always preserves us.
What else do the righteous do? They speak wisdom and talk of justice. This is a helpful reminder to think before you speak, and to make sure that your words are not only true but also edifying. How does the righteous man know what is true and edifying? “The law of his God is in his heart.” This is an encouragement to study and learn the words of Holy Scripture, so that God’s Word becomes a part of you, always transforming your worldview to see things as your God sees them.
If you lead a righteous life, expect to be targeted by the wicked in one way or another, but don’t let it upset you. “Wait on the LORD and keep His way.” Keep doing what is right, patiently enduring, joyfully serving. You know where the path of the wicked ends, just as you know where the path of the righteous leads. You don’t have to vindicate yourself. You don’t have to save yourself. You don’t have to be the source of your own strength. The LORD Himself has promised to deliver you from the wicked, to save you and to be your inexhaustible source of strength, if you will trust in Him to provide it. And why shouldn’t you trust in Him? He provided His own Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, just as He promised He would. If He kept that promise, what promise can He possibly fail to keep?
Let us pray: O LORD, You are faithful in all Your ways. We thank You for Your promises of deliverance, help, and strength. Amen.