Though the verses in this psalm may seem repetitive, each carries its own unique nugget of truth. And we all need constant reminders of God’s sovereignty and His care for and rewards to those who remain faithful. Read on and be encouraged!
11 The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
Humility. Lowliness. When we are emptied of ourselves, God has room to fll us with something much greater than ourselves: His presence and His righteousness. And righteousness is inextricably linked with peace and joy according to God’s Word.The ungodly, however, frantically strive to satisfy their hungry hearts with material goods, power, or success. Yet any satisfaction or joy from these efforts evaporates as surely as a puddle in a drought.
Especially distressing are those who are determined to destroy God’s truth and those who love and follow Him. We may feel as if wickedness is taking over. We may be tempted to doubt God’s goodness and involvement in world events and the situations of our lives. But in the end, justice will be served and the godly will receive their rewards for their faithfulness. Our Father in heaven has something much better waiting for us. Nothing we endure here will be worthy of comparison (Romans 8:18). Nothing can be taken from us that the Lord cannot restore to us one hundred times over.
12 The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance.
This verse provides a rather humorous picture of a “mad dog on a short leash.” Those consumed with their own rebellious plans think they can deny God and get the upper hand over the righteous. But our Father’s care and concern never falter and His holiness and sovereignty never wane.
Before his conversion, the apostle Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, went about arresting and destroying believers. He thought he was doing God a favor but then the Lord Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus.“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” the Lord cried out and struck Paul blind for three days. The great apostle’s transformation of mind and heart began and ironically, he went on to endure the very same suffering he’d visited upon other Christians. One startling testimony to God’s wisdom and sovereignty over the evil of man comes as later, Paul confesses that even while he was in his mother’s womb, God set him apart for service (Galatians 1:15-16).
13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.
God’s laughter over the foolishness and vain efforts of the ungodly can be compared to a parent laughing over a two-year-old declaring he can run his own life. “Me do it!” The Lord still longs, still aches for rebels to become His sons and daughters for He died so that all people everywhere could be saved. We who are His disciples, who are being daily molded into His image, are to have the same attitude of forgiveness and compassion for our enemies. Yet if they will not believe and repent, there is nothing but judgment and eternal damnation waiting for them.
14 The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. 15 But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
Self-destruction is a built-in consequence of evil and rebellion against God. This agrees with the Biblical warning that the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). When people choose to fight against God, they forfeit God’s help, love, and blessing and the abundant and eternal life available only from Him. They open ourselves up to the dark powers in the unseen realms and the bondage they bring. Continued opposition leads to greater and greater evil until they are consumed by the results of their choices, “stabbed by their own swords.” Our God is also able, sometimes in miraculous ways, to turn events against them so they will be caught in their own traps (See 2 Chronicles 20:20-25).
In my next blog on Psalms 37: Hope in the Midst of Evil, we read of God’s care for His people and talk about how we must trust Him even when He seems to have withdrawn His hand from our lives.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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