Psalm 37-39
As you read Psalm 37, you can almost feel God’s peace pour over you like liquid gold. There may be times when our souls are burdened and we start looking around to see if we are being treated justly. In those times, we are not to fret. If we “trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness,” (37: 3), He will show Himself strong on our behalf.
So who inherits the land? The faithful, those who “wait for the Lord,” and the humble. (9, 11). The arrogant and the self-reliant are out of God’s will. Sometimes people want to “make it happen,” at any cost. They may even run rough-shod over others to “make it happen.”
God’s way is different. When we are in His will, we wait patiently for Him, knowing that He will accomplish what concerns us. We must trust.
Some of the most famous verses are in this psalm. “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (37:4) Some interpret this as saying that He will do whatever you want Him to. I have a different take on it.
When our lives are totally committed to the Lord, He drops His desires into our hearts – and then He completes them. One way that His will is made known to us is through our desires – if we are walking closely with Him. Praying and meditating on the Word.
Another famous verse is related. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in His way.”(37:23).
Or what about this one, “I have been young and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.”(37:25).
Or “Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land.”(37:34).
Immediately after this beautiful psalm, David has a down-turn. It’s almost shocking to see his attitude change so quickly, but we are getting used to David by now. He doesn’t try to hide his emotions from the Lord. He very quickly and easily pours out his heart – whether it is a good day or a bad one.
He’s having a few bad days, just as we do sometimes. But David is still counting on the Lord to hear his prayers and to deliver him out of the burden of sin.
And he won’t be disappointed. Neither will we.
Acts 26
Paul has his chance to preach the gospel to King Agrippa. He eloquently shares once again his testimony. Paul had been a Pharisee, putting to death the Christians, when a bright light from Heaven arrested him and Jesus called him into the ministry.
Paul’s words are so anointed that King Agrippa says, “In a short time, you will persuade me to be a Christian.”(V. 28)
Then later Agrippa says, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(V. 32)
If you recall, the Lord had already spoken to Paul, saying that He was sending him to Rome. The gospel was to be preached in the very epicenter of the Roman empire – Rome itself. God chose to have Paul arrested and to appeal to Rome so that he could be transported there and have an audience with Caesar himself.
So to Rome he will go. God’s will is being accomplished.
