GOD PROTECTS US FROM WHAT WE DON'T NEED AND PROVIDES WHAT WE REALLY NEED
Psalm 37:18-19
The Lord knows
the days of the blameless,
and their heritage
will remain forever;
19 they are not put
to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine
they have abundance.
Even though the wicked
seem to prosper, David continues to give the readers of this wonderful psalm
reason to trust in God.
God is totally aware of
the lives of those who are His and trust in Him. Their lives will leave a
legacy of righteousness, and He will take care of them in every hardship of life.
God promised to take care
of His own many times in the Scriptures.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with
you;
be not dismayed, for I am
your God;
I will strengthen you, I
will help you,
I will uphold you
with my righteous right hand.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt
you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for
you.
The Apostle Peter reminds
us that our trust must be preceded by humility. Humility requires our admission
of inability, our recognition of God’s ability and consequential total trust
and dependence on Him. Only then will we have the peace and rest that we so
desire. Why would we not be satisfied with God, when the final outcome is
certain?
It is certain for the
wicked.
Psalm 37:20
But the wicked will
perish;
the enemies of
the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they
vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
It is certain for the
righteous.
Psalm 37:21-22
The wicked borrows but
does not pay back,
but the righteous is
generous and gives;
22 for those blessed
by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by
him shall be cut off.
Why would ever focus on
what we can see now? Why would we allow the temporal to drive our emotions,
desires, and reactions? Not only should we look to God for our provision, but
we should be generous with what we have. The wicked accumulates because he
believes that his sustainability rests on his ability, the godly is generous
because he knows his provision is unending, adequate, and timely.
Psalm 37:23-24
23 The steps of a man
are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his
way;
24 though he fall, he
shall not be cast headlong,
for
the Lord upholds his hand.
What a beautiful image!
God is holding our hand! I am reminded of walking with my children in the city
of Rome
God is holding our hands,
as we walk through the difficulties of life, and while we are evaluating what
we have and observing what others are enjoying. We are not being deprived, we
are not being abandoned. God is holding our hand, protecting us from what we
really don’t need, keeping us close and dependent on Him.
I remember how many times
my children stumbled, but did not fall because I was holding their hand. Those
mishaps usually were followed by pleasurable times, when the little unaware
hand stopped struggling to get loose and found comfort in being held.
God is so kind in
reminding us today, that we should not be squirming in our trusting dependence
on Him. We are certainly not wise enough to even know what we really need. We are
not knowledgeable enough to know the dangers of possessing what would certainly
not be good for us.
David had observed God’s
provision; his experience had proven God to be faithful.
Psalm 37:25-26
25 I have been young, and
now am old,
yet I have not seen the
righteous forsaken
or his
children begging for bread.
26 He is
ever lending generously,
and his children become a
blessing.
David had observed the continuous
care of God. His care is not only sufficient, but generous. Let’s not forget
that as God takes care of our needs, not our wants, He wants us to be generous
and to be a blessing to others.
May we go out today and
live with satisfied dependence on God, being generous with what He has given
us. May we be a blessing to others!
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