Sunday Devotional 24th July 2022
by Bruce Billington
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will continue to explore Psalm 37 – a Psalm of David.
Psalm 37:39
But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
Psalm 37:40
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
David now closes off this wonderful Psalm. He reiterates how the righteous shall be saved, because they are in the hand of God, and how they can never be forgotten or overlooked by Him. He promises that He will be our sustaining strength even when in times of trouble or much affliction. He rejoices to uphold us.
As he does elsewhere in this Psalm, David exhorts us to depend upon God, not only when things go according to our desires, but even when everything seems to be in chaos and disarray. All it takes is for us to believe in Him, to put our faith and trust in Him.
David uses some interesting words in this Psalm to speak about God’s actions towards us. They are military terms coming from his role as a man of war.
- Strength or stronghold (maoze)—a fortress, rock, place of protection and safety.
- Help (aza)—provide support or reinforcement
- Deliver (palat)—help to escape or rescue from captivity
- Trust (chacah)—take shelter or refuge in
As a result, although we often dwell in territory that is occupied by the enemy, we walk in victory, not defeat. It is territory claimed by Christ when He crushed the head of the serpent (Satan) on the cross (Genesis 3:15). Until He returns to destroy His enemies and take possession of the world, we can overcome all that opposes us through faith and the power of His Spirit (1 John 4:4; 5:4).
As if this wasn’t enough, we are also promised a future where we will dwell eternally with the Living God – and will be surrounded with all that He is and has – where sin and evil will no longer dwell. It is here where we get to experience the fullness of shalom – the true peace, comfort, favour, and wholeness that has been set aside for the people of God for all eternity. Despite all our wonderful blessings in this life, the best is yet to come.
Until that time comes, we can expect the injustices of our sinful world to continue. This world, heavily influenced by Satan, produces much fertile ground for wickedness to thrive. As we covered in an earlier devotion, David testifies that he has seen the wicked flourish like trees in their native soil. But they always die, and when they do, they totally disappear from the face of the earth, never to be seen again. They do not endure, and neither does all they possessed while on this earth.
Of course, their end is not something we should rejoice over. In fact, we should reach out to them while there is still an opportunity for them to turn from their wicked ways, reach out to the Lord and join us as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. It is not God’s will that any should perish (Matt 18:14) but for all to come to know Him and participate in all He has for each person that lives.
So, by way of ending our brief look at this wonderful Psalm, we can rightly state that instead of looking around at all the evil and injustices in our world, we need to look to the Lord in order to strengthen us for today – to empower us to be salt and light in this world and look forward to the day when He will ultimately conquer His enemies and rule the world. Donald M. Williams makes an excellent comment that we will finish on.
They commit their way to Him, trust in Him, and wait for Him to act. They inherit all of God’s promises of peace and prosperity in the land. The wicked, however, pass away abruptly. They burn like the grass. They have no substance. They are grounded only in time, and time comes to an end. The righteous find their substance in the Lord. They are grounded in Him and He does not pass away. He assures their place in His kingdom. God Himself will resolve ‘the problem of evil.’ Then the righteous will shine forever, as the noontime sun.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington