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Psalm 37 - But

Psalm 37

 But

 Introduction
Psalm 37 is written as a testimonial Psalm to God's salvation for the righteous and judgement for the wicked. David often uses the word "but" (translated NIV) to bring out contrasts between the two - or to show the temporal nature of things compared to God's eternal will

Summary
v1-2 The wicked do not last
v3-8 Instructions for righteous living
v9-22 The wicked will be cut off
v23-34 The righteous are never forsaken
v35-36 The wicked's enjoyment is temporal
v37-38 The future is set of the righteous
v39-40 Praise

The wicked do not last
The first 2 verses of this Psalm are an encouragement to those oppressed by the wicked. Somehow the wicked are always portrayed to have a good standing now - and if we do look at our world today, it is unsurprising. We commonly see those who cheat and whatnot easily attain things like promotions, higher pays... But these things do not last - for like the grass they will soon wither. And not only do these people wither away, so do the positions they hold, their assets, etc. Everything here is temporal.

Instructions for righteous living
Here David leaves a good list for us of things-to-do.
1. Trust in the LORD
2. Do good
3. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture
4. Delight yourself in the LORD
5. Commit your way to the LORD
6. Be still before the LORD
7. Wait patiently for Him
8. Do not fret when men succeed in their ways
9. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath
Long list here, probably not exhaustive. But here are some things that really stood out.
5 of these things are done in direct relation to God. To trust, delight, commit, be still and wait patiently. In our walk with God, these things can be done as well. We place our trust in God, commit our lives and decisions to Him, be still in prayer, wait patiently, and delight in His answer to us.
Are we missing out on any of these things?
4 others, then, are with regard to our human lives - to do good, to "dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture", to "not fret when men succeed in their ways" and to "refrain from anger". Dwelling in the land, I believe, is a reference to being content - God has given us a "Promised land", we are to be happy with what He has given because it is good.

The wicked will be cut off
David then goes into this long section on the judgement for the wicked - that in a little more time, they will be cut off. This phrase "cut off" is re-used many times in the passage - because of all punishments given out by God, this is the greatest - to be removed from the presence of all good.

The righteous are never forsaken
This is the promise made to us - that no matter how tough times get, the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Eventually, the righteous will "inherit the land".
Do we fit in here, or fit in with those cut off? The future of the righteous is secured. Can we say the same for ourselves?
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