January 28
“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass,” Psalm 37:1-5.
After reading the verses quoted above, you might want to take your Bible and read Psalm 37 entirely. The thoughts quoted above are repeated again and again in different ways.
Through David, the psalmist, the Lord asks you not to fret or complain when you see a person who is known to be ungodly and yet seemingly is very successful. People are often tempted to say, “I wish I had what he has,” or, “I wish I were as lucky as he!” The psalmist reminds us that the success of the ungodly is only temporary. “They shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” There is an old proverb: “Everything that glitters is not gold!” Don’t be deceived by outward appearance.
Children of God are encouraged with the words, “Trust in the Lord . . . Delight yourself in the Lord . . . Commit your way to the Lord.” Each of those phrases is followed with an assurance: “Trust in the Lord . . . and feed on His faithfulness.” Remember how faithful God is. From the time of creation, God has made promises with reference to both body and soul, and God has kept His promises in the past, He keeps His promises presently, and He will also keep them in the future.
The greatest of God’s promises, of course, was the promise to send the Savior to redeem and deliver all people from the power of sin and Satan. After Adam and Eve had sinned, God promised a Savior who would conquer the devil and his power. God fulfilled that promise when He sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world. Jesus fulfilled where you and I fail. He fulfilled all of the Commandments in our place. He took all of our sins upon Himself and carried them to Calvary’s cross where He washed them all away. Scripture assures us that, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7. He was crucified and buried, but then He rose on the third day and conquered death for us. He promises, “Because I live, you shall live also,” John 14:19.
The psalmist urges us to trust and delight in Him as God’s Son and our Savior, and to commit everything into His hands. What a wonderful way to start each day!
“With the Lord begin thy task . . .
If thy task be thus begun with the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then thy course will run, naught thy soul distressing.
Good will follow everywhere while thou here must wander;
Thou at last the joy wilt share in the mansions yonder.”
God bless your day! Amen.