I love Psalm 37. It’s like a mini guidebook for how to live. The psalm is full of wisdom and encouragement and worthy of being read daily. Recognizing how relevant God’s Word remains today always makes me smile. We need no other proof of the divine nature of the Bible than to see how prescient and applicable the words written thousands of years ago are today. Right out of the gate, it appears King David, the author of the Psalm, is speaking directly into our world.
He writes, “Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.” (Psalm 37:1-2). Our world is full of evil people, but it is an encouragement to know their plans will not last forever. God will hold them accountable for what they do. There is hope in the darkness.
Next, David amps up the encouragement even more: “Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:3-4). No matter what is going on around us, we are to trust the Lord. He sees what is going on. None of this surprises Him. Why should we despair when we know God is in control and able to deliver us from anything? He is the same God who rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1- 4:3) and Daniel from the den of lions (Daniel 6:1-28). He is the same God who delivered David as a young boy from his battle with a giant warrior (1 Samuel 17:1-52), and the same God who walked through an angry mob seeking to kill Him (Luke 4:16-30).
Nothing we face today is too great for God to handle. We only need to trust Him. When our delight is in His Word and His love, our desires will conform to His. No longer will we lament over how bad things are, but instead rejoice in how good Jesus is. Remember, there is nothing that can ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). When our trust is in the Lord, our lives are secure. No matter what happens on earth, our eternity is secure in Christ. Don’t get too attached to the good times or let yourself become dismayed by the bad. This life will pass away no matter what. Live for what is eternal and will never pass away. That is our hope in the darkness.
David closes his introduction with the words, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday” (Psalm 37:5-6). Not only should we trust in the Lord, but we should live our life according to His commands. When we trust in God for our salvation and commit our lives to living for Him, we can be confident He will deliver us. He will bring justice into a world where there is none. He will lift us out of the mire of despair. There is hope in the darkness because Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). He will never let you down. His plan will never fail. He is our hope in the darkness.