Psalm 37 30The mouth of the righteous man talks wisdom; his tongue says what is right. 31The teaching of his God is in his mind and his steps do not falter.
The righteous man is the man who trusts the LORD. He hears what the LORD says in Deut, 6, “4“Listen, Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD. 5Love the LORD your God with all your mind, all your heart, and all your strength. 6The instructions I give you today write in your mind; 7impress their meaning on your children; talk about them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. 8Bind them on your arm to remind you; wear them as bands on your forehead; 9write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” He follows this and therefore he talks wisdom and says what is right. It is not his own but what the LORD has given him. So he not only talks about what God’s Word says, he also lives his life according to it.
32A wicked man spies on the righteous and tries to kill him. 33But the LORD will not leave him in his power or condemn him when he is tried.
Wicked people do indeed try to harm those who follow the LORD in all His ways. They are motivated by the prince of this world. The devil hates them and so do those who follow him. They may bring us before worldly courts and try us. They may even win there. Before the LORD, the Judge of all judges, we will not be left in the power of the wicked or be condemned. Jesus is our advocate before the Father. He will vindicate us on the day of judgment.
34Look to the LORD for help and live in His way, and He will lift you up to own the land, and you will see the wicked cut down.
Another appeal to look to the LORD for help and to live in the way He has put before us. It is not always easy. It goes against our fallen nature which still clings to us. He gives us this promise so we may mortify our flesh, and live in His way. Looking only to the LORD for help, He will lift up to own the land. Not this age’s land (though that was true for ancient Israel), but the world and age to come. Jesus promised, “the meek shall inherit the earth.” While the wicked run riot over us in this age, on the Last Day you will see the wicked cut down. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire to perish forever.
35I have seen the wicked as a tyrant, spreading out like a native tree full of leaves. 36But he passed away, and now he’s gone. I looked for him but couldn’t find him.
The outlook is not good for those who trust in power, wealth, their own strength and the like for every good. Yes, it looks like what David describes here; the wicked spread out like native trees full of leaves. Their power and might looks like it never ceases. Yet they do die. Their power, strength and might die with them. Then he is nowhere to be found. The next day they are forgotten. We who trust in the LORD are kept in His mind at all times and forever. He never forgets our name. Therefore Jesus us to fear God and no one else. He alone has all power, glory and might and exercises it on our behalf.
Heavenly Father, grant that we may continually be in Your Word, trust what it says, speak it to those around us and live our lives according to it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.