A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 32-36)

Psalm 37:32-36 (NIV),” 32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; 33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 34 hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.”

Do you see the wicked continue to prosper and then sometimes feel as if your walk with the Lord is in vain? Well guess what? You’re not alone. Many Christians, including myself, have at times been bombarded with doubtful questions. It helps to remember that God’s system is completely different from the one in the world. He operates with spiritual eternal things in mind, whereas the world focuses on natural temporal things.

Satan, the god of this world, wants us to become so infatuated with worldly things that we forget about the things of God. As a matter of fact, He wants people to doubt the very existence of God. That way, people will live a life of self indulgence, which ultimately leads to emptiness and self destruction. What a tragedy!

People of the world work to build an earthly empire. However God calls us Christians not to store up treasures on Earth, but to instead store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Our lives here on Earth are very short compared to our lives in eternity with Jesus. God is asking us to focus on what matters most, and that is storing up treasures in heaven, our eternal home.

Psalm 27:13 (NIV),”I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

God wants us to enjoy our lives and see His goodness here on Earth, called the land of the living. He wants us to be successful in our endeavors. His idea of success may sometimes differ from the worlds. Therefore we should pray for God’s guidance as we make decisions pertaining to our earthly lives. He created each of us with a specific purpose in mind. Following our God given purpose will ensure that we will make a difference now on Earth, while also contributing to His eternal plan in heaven. He wants to be involved in every detail of our lives. Nothing about us or our lives is insignificant to the Lord.

God continuously tells us the wicked will be destroyed but the righteous will be exalted. So let us confidently put our hope in the Lord, as we diligently follow His plan for our lives.

A Look at Psalm 37(verses 29-31)

Psalm 37:29-31(NIV),”29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. 31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

How do we gain wisdom? We ask God for it. As we go through life, we are faced with many choices, but in order to choose what is best, we need wisdom.

James 1:5(NIV), “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

When we walk in godly wisdom, we can see beyond the surface. We can look deeper into our lives and the lives of others. Having wisdom allows us to understand that we can’t just always live for the moment, because a single moment can change our tomorrows rather it be for better or for worse.

Proverbs 4:6-7 (NLT),”Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.“

Being a man or woman of wisdom means we care about people and how our words and actions impact them. Wise people are not self seeking. They build others up instead of tearing them down. Wise people do not live by their feelings. They choose to live by the Word of God and be guided by The Holy Spirit. Wise people do not seek the pleasures of the world. They seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

1 Kings 3:9-12 (NLT),”Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies I will give you what you asked for!“

Ask God for wisdom, and He will freely give it to you.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 25-28)

Psalm 37:25-28(NIV)

25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. 27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed the offspring of the wicked will perish.

God has promised to never forsake His children. He’s always near, even when we go through moments or days where we feel we can’t sense His presence. We may ask, “Has God forgotten me?” Or we may wonder, “Is God aware of the suffering I’m going through?” The questions we ask are the beginning of getting the answers we seek. Jesus says, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).

When God knows we are seeking to know Him better, He will honor our efforts by revealing Himself to us. As we try to understand how he is working in our lives, He won’t always tell us everything we want to know, but He will tell us exactly what He knows we need to know.

When you feel God has forgotten you, I encourage you to look up, because the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). We can be reminded of His faithfulness and sovereignty through the divine order of His creation. When you feel discouraged, look within to His Spirit that lives inside of you, because greater is He who lives in you than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4). He will replenish you with the strength you need to keep serving Him wholeheartedly.

Praying Over Our Emotions

Our emotions can change like the weather. They can fluctuate depending on things that are happening in our lives. You can start off fine, and then someone can come along and say something to make you angry or sad. Or you can be having a bad day, and someone can say something that makes you happy or hopeful. There can even be days where maybe it doesn’t have to do with people or outside influences at all, you just don’t feel like yourself for some reason. You may not even know what the reason is.

Regardless of what emotions we feel, we should always give our emotions to the Lord. When amazing things happen, we should praise Him. When not-so-amazing things happen we should still thank Him for being God and let Him know we are hurting. This is what I’m learning to do, because on good days I want to glorify Him for His blessings. However on bad days, instead of just trying to work through things myself, I am learning to make prayer my first response. I am noticing that in talking to God about my emotions rather good or bad, it brings me peace. He said that’s what would happen in Philippians 4:6-7. He said to give Him our prayers and He would in turn give us His peace.

Asking God to help us manage our emotions is a humbling experience, because we are basically acknowledging that how we feel may be right or it maybe wrong. But in either case, we are putting our trust in Him to teach us how to act when life happens. He’s God. He always has been God. He always will be God. I can’t even begin to imagine the depth of His wisdom. He can handle our emotions and teach us how to do the same.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 20-24) We’re at the halfway mark!

Psalm 37:20-24 (NIV), “20 But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 Those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. 23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

Wow! We’re halfway through Psalm 37! Thanks for reading it with me. I hope you’re enjoying the journey. It’s been exciting sharing it with you. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it’s my favorite Psalm. I’ve read it many times. But this is my first time, taking time to write about what God is showing me as I read it.

Throughout Psalm 37, the fate of the wicked is constantly being compared to the fate of the righteous. Bottom line is that you’re blessed or you’re cursed. You’ll live or you’ll die. We know that sin when full grown leads to death (James 1:15). But Jesus Christ is Life (John 14:6).

The wicked borrow and do not repay, in other words, they steal. However, the righteous give generously. As the saying goes, “We are blessed to be a blessing.” Our wells will never run dry because our Source is Jesus Christ. As long as we stay connected to Him, the True Vine, we will produce good fruit (John 15:1-4).

Our God knows we are human. That’s why He said we will at times stumble, but He also said He will not let us fall. An occasional stumble keeps us humble. It keeps us aware of our need for Jesus. As the old hymn says, “Prone to wander Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Unfortunately we are naturally prone to go in the direction of the world, but by living supernaturally through Christ, we can stay on the life giving path that He has personally prepared for us.

Corinthians 12:7(NIV), “…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

I, like many people, have often wondered what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. God chose not to take it from him so that He would not be tempted to become conceited and full of pride. Can you think of struggles that you have had that kept you humble and caused you to grow in Christ? It’s through our weaknesses that we learn our true strength is found in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Never forget, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:19)!! Anything He instructs us to do, He will equip us to do. Is there something that God is instructing you to do, but fear keeps holding you back? Trust God to make your steps firm as He promised. Then boldly move forward in Him, one day at a time!

Feel free to comment if you have any additional thoughts to add or any insight to share on what God is teaching you.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 16-19)

Psalm 37:16-19 (NIV), “16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”

The plenty that God offers us far outweighs what the world has to offer. The things of the world are fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow. The inheritance God offers us through Christ will endure forever.

God will provide.

I remember a time when I was in between jobs and didn’t have health insurance. I needed to go to the doctor but was afraid of the bill. I felt inside that I needed to trust God and go. Long story short, at the end of my appointment, the doctor looked at me, smiled, and said no charge. I was stunned! Our Heavenly Father intervened to provide me with exactly what I needed. For me it was a time of “famine” because I didn’t have insurance, but for God it was a time to uphold His child and provide. He always has plenty. His resources never run out.

When we are in His care, no matter what state the world may be in, He promises that even in times of lack we will have plenty. Plenty isn’t just material things, it encompasses all of our needs. He will give us plenty of peace, plenty of joy, or plenty of strength so we can endure the trials of life.

We can’t let fear of the unknown keep us from trusting in God. No matter what your situation is, remember He is the God of plenty and He will always provide for His children.

Music Mondays- Exhale by Plumb

Fellow blogger Jesusluvsall shared this song and I think the words are amazing!

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I love the lyrics that begin Exhale by Plumb:

“It’s okay to not be okay
This is a safe place
This is a safe place
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be ashamed
There’s still hope here
There’s still hope here”

The opening lyrics remind me of what Jesus said in Matthew 11:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus invites all people to come to him and he promises to give us rest. He promises healing for our souls.

Plumb goes on to sing about the love to be found in God’s arms and the healing he brings to our lives. I love how she sings about breathe in God’s love and exhale.

For anyone who struggles…

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