Psalm 37 is a powerful chapter filled with promises we can cling to. It is filled with comparison of good and evil. We’ll focus on how God deals with those who do good, but to summarize the life of those who choose evil, the psalmist says it like this: “they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb”. They can try and do all sorts of things, but they aren’t going to be around. They will be cast down. They will be thrown out. They will fade away.
The writer gives some very clear instruction for what we should do to walk with God in His ways. Check out this guidebook for how we should live:
– “Trust in the Lord
– do good
– dwell in the land
– befriend faithfulness
– Delight yourself in the Lord
– Commit your way to the Lord
– trust in him
– Be still before the Lord
– wait patiently for him
– fret not yourself
– Refrain from anger
– forsake wrath”
That is a very concise list of how we should live. It starts with trust. God desires a relationship with us. He wants us to trust Him.
So what are the results when we live this way, focused on God and His righteousness. The list of outcomes is powerful and strong.
– “He will give you the desires of your heart
– He will act
– He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday”
God will move when we live for Him. He won’t let us flounder. He is active and alive and paying attention. We need to wait for Him to move though. We often get impatient. We fret and worry and try to make things happen on our own. Scripture tells us “those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land”. We need to be patient and wait!
There are many more promises in this chapter. The tone is one of legacy. When we live God’s way, we set up a foundation for God’s ongoing love and impact. “The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever”. That is legacy – a heritage that remains forever. “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land”. Legacy is not about me doing something to make it happen. It is about living God’s way and waiting on Him to do His thing. It is putting God’s truth in my heart and trusting Him. “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip”. If we want to create a legacy that is passed to our kids and grandkids and beyond, it all starts here. It starts with walking well with the Father. It is about living God’s way. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way”. God is more than willing to establish our legacy – but how we walk and live determines what that outcome is. Are you walking with God His way?