Derek Kidner summarized the first part of Psalm 37 with three statements:
1. Look ahead!
2. Look up!
3. Be Constructive!
We’ve already taken a look at the first two statements (here and here), so it’s time to wrap up our look at this ancient Hebrew poem. Kidner makes his summary based on v. 3 that says “do good” and v. 8 that says “forsake wrath.” Those are the two sides of the coin in being constructive. Positively stated, we should do good rather than fret. Negatively stated, we should relinquish wrath.
If I’ve already looked ahead to the end of the wicked, and looked up to God and what he’s done in Christ, I can see that I now have power to be constructive. That power to be constructive is a gracious gift and it’s worth taking out of the box and revving it up!
The last part of the psalm are vv. 12-40. The psalmist revs up the gift by contrasting the life cycle of the righteous and wicked. Rather than write more words about it I want to encourage you to sit with this half of the psalm. It’s good to sit with if you are young. It will give you a lens to look ahead at the years of your life. It’s especially good to sit with if you are seasoned with years because you’ll find an explanation to many things you have seen and experienced.
As a person defined as living “mid-life” I find myself reading looking both forward and backward over years when I read this psalm. The verse that continually draws me in is verse 25:
I once was young, and now am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his children begging for bread.
So often my fretting revolves around my fear that one day I will be begging for bread, or worse, that my children will be begging. There are plenty of poor Christians in the world, yet this psalm has a ring of truth to it. In Christ, they are not begging for bread. No matter what our circumstances we have the bread of life. We have food from heaven for life’s long road.
This week if you find yourself hungry in soul; if you find yourself fretting, then I invite you to sit and delight in this psalm that is fulfilled in Christ. I also invite you to come and take food for the journey. Consider joining us at the 8:30 service where we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week and experience the nourishment of Christ.
If this blog series has left you curious, or left you with questions, then I hope to hear from you. May God fill all your hungers of body and soul.
In Him,
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