In Psalm 37, we see a better way to respond to evil: trust, do good,wait, delight. - P25
Trust that God knows what He is doing, and out of that confidencein Him, do all the good you can do in a given situation. - P25
Then, waitfor God to act when things seem hopeless and resist the temptationto take matters into your own hands. And as you wait, delight in whoGod is. - P25
Spend time with Him, study His Word, and ask to know Himbetter. In doing so, you will guard yourself from being consumed byanger and you will gain wisdom for how to help those around you.
- P25
You will truly be "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yieldsits fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they doprospers" (Ps. 1:3). - P25
Lord God, amid the world‘s frantic pursuit of success through wicked schemes,
help me to fix my eyes on You. - P25
Give me the patience to wait for You to fulfillYour promises. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P25
18 The blameless spend their days under the LORD‘scare, and their inheritance will endure forever.
18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritancethat lasts forever.
- P26
19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days offamine they will enjoy plenty.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more thanenough. - P26
23 The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who de-lights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will notfall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. - P27
The wicked plot against the righteous, but the Lord laughs at them. The wick-ed draw the sword to bring down the poor and needy, but their swords willpierce their own hearts. The Lord‘s enemies will go up in smoke. - P27
The righteous,however, spend their days
under the Lord‘s care and their inheritance willendure forever. The Lord upholds them with His hand. - P27
Christians have been persecuted since the church was hrst established,
and attacks on believers will persist as long as we continue to shine ourlight into a hostile darkness. - P28
In some contexts, Christians are targetedwith horrific violence and live in constant fear. But even in the midst ofsuch evil, God laughs at the wicked because they are no match for Hisrighteous judgment. - P28
The Lord upholds the righteous, and the wickedwill be destroyed by their own weapons. - P28
Those who attack the childrenof God will have to answer for their words and actions on the day thatGod vindicates His people. - P28
On that day, He will cause all the world tosee our righteousness and no one will be able to deny it. - P28
In these verses, David surveys the lives of the righteous and how theydiffer from the lives of the wicked. The contrast could not be morestark! - P28
Evildoers who refuse to repent are destined for destruction, butGod‘s people will enjoy an eternal inheritance. God blesses His childrenso abundantly that we are able to share these blessings with others.
- P28
God‘s promises to us should not be misunderstood as guarantees ofmaterial comfort or prosperity; rather, they describe the ways that Godgives us joy, lights our path, andour path, and preserves our faith regardless of ourexternal circumstances. - P28
Even in times of disaster and famine, He caresfor us and upholds us with His hand so that we can stand firm in Him. - P28
"God will either give you what you ask or something far better."
- Robert Murray M‘Cheyne - P28
God preserves us through our trials and uses them to refine us, butthat does not mean He turns a blind eye toward those who cause oursuffering. - P29
Those who reject God and embrace evil will face full retri-bution for their actions on the last day. This frees us from the humanurge to get back at those who hurt us. Let God fight for you, and "asfar as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Rom. 12:18).
- P29
Know that you always have a refuge in your heavenly Father. - P29
Father, I praise You for Your promises that extend throughout my life andinto eternity. - P29
When I face suffering or persecution, help me to hold fast to thecomfort and victory I have in Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name I pray, amen. - P29
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