THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Languagecopyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Hell validate your life in the clear light of day. Start FREE. 3-4Get insurance with God and do a good deed,settle down and stick to your last.Keep company with God,get in on the best. 21-22Wicked borrows and never returns;Righteous gives and gives.Generous gets it all in the end;Stingy is cut off at the pass. \\<<[A Psalm] of David>>\\. The Message (MSG). We do this by trusting God to work His perfect will in and through our lives, and not by trying to live a good life or trusting in ourselves and our own abilities. 5-6Open up before God, keep nothing back;hell do whatever needs to be done:Hell validate your life in the clear light of dayand stamp you with approval at high noon. Verses 21-33 The Lord our God requires that we do justly, and render to all their due. God will keep them from being ruined by their falls, either into sin or into trouble, though such as fall into sin will be sorely hurt. And if we are sure of this, we are sure not to want any thing good for us in this world. We may serenely sing -. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. This is more than we deserve, and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. Read full chapter. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalms 37 1 Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked. [b](AX), 27Turn from evil and do good;(AY)then you will dwell in the land forever. If only believers would stop fretting about all the difficulties and evils in life and truly delight themselves in the Lord, by trusting His Word, resting in His promises, and committing everything into His hands, He could carry out His perfect will in each of our lives. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In hard times, theyll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, theyll be full. To delight in God is as much a privilege as a duty. 1 Ein Psalm Davids. Sarah Frazer, How Can Christians 'Delight' Themselves in the Lord? get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! We do this by committing our way to the Lord and not trying to live the Christian life in our own strength. 26Every day he's out giving and lending, his children making him proud. 35-36I saw Wicked bloated like a toad,croaking pretentious nonsense.The next time I looked there was nothinga punctured bladder, vapid and limp. 25-26I once was young, now Im a graybeardnot once have I seen an abandoned believer,or his kids out roaming the streets.Every day hes out giving and lending,his children making him proud. We are also told that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. We must roll it off ourselves, not afflict and perplex ourselves with thoughts about future events, but refer them to God. and stamp you with approval at high noon. 33God, alert, is also on watch - Wicked won't hurt a hair of his head. A fretful, discontented spirit is open to many temptations. Used by permission of NavPress. Prepare for Easter with Bible Gateway Plus. Those that rest on the Rock of ages, have no reason to envy the wicked the support of their broken reeds. 11Down-to-earth people will move in and take over, relishing a huge bonanza. \\<<[A Psalm] of David>>\\. The thing particularly referred to here, as appears from the next verse, is reputation or character. they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. He will help them to do their duties, to bear their burdens; help them to bear their troubles well, and get good by them, and, in due time, will deliver them out of their troubles. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? 24If he stumbles, he's not down for long; God has a grip on his hand. He'll give you your place in the sun while you watch the wicked lose it. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. What a striking ( psalms 37:35-36 ) But God remarkably blights the projects of the prosperous wicked, especially persecutors. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers. We must leave our sins; learn to do well, and cleave to it. 14Bullies brandish their swords, pull back on their bows with a flourish. 30Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone, rolls virtue around on his tongue. Commit thy way unto the Lord Or "thy works", as in ( Proverbs 16:3 ) ; that is, all the affairs and business of life, which are a man's ways in which he walks; not that men should sit still, be inactive, and do nothing, and leave all to be done by the Lord; but should seek direction of God in everything engaged in, and for strength and assistance to perform it, and go on in it, and depend upon him for success, and give him all the glory, without trusting to any thing done by them: or, as some render the words, "reveal thy way unto the Lord" F14; not that God is ignorant of the ways of men, and of their affairs, and of their wants and necessities, but it is their duty to ask, and it is his delight to hear; they may come and use freedom with him, and tell him their whole case, and leave it with him, believing he will supply all their need: or, as others render it, "roll thy way on the Lord" F15; see ( Psalms 55:22 ) ; meaning not the burden of sin, nor the weight of affliction, but any affair of moment and importance that lies heavy upon the mind; trust also in him; it is an ease to the mind to spread it before the Lord, who sympathizes with his people, supports them under and brings them through their difficulties; and he shall bring [it] to pass; as he does whatever he has appointed and determined shall be, and whatever he has promised, and whatever will be for his own glory and his people's good. 5-6Open up before God, keep nothing back;hell do whatever needs to be done:Hell validate your life in the clear light of dayand stamp you with approval at high noon. Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time. 16-17Less is more and more is less. 32Wicked sets a watch for Righteous, he's out for the kill. (X), 12The wicked plot(Y) against the righteousand gnash their teeth(Z) at them;13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,for he knows their day is coming. For the Christian, faith in Christ is simply trusting God to finish the good work that He started in our lives when we were first saved, trusting God's Spirit to work in us for our Christian growth. 34Hope in the Lord(BL)and keep his way. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. All rights reserved worldwide. Psalm 37 is a psalm of David, and he begins by telling us, "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity" (Ps. This will be a real support to believers in evil times. 27Turn your back on evil, work for the good and don't quit. A banana peel lands them flat on their faces. David persuades to patience and confidence in God, by the state of the godly and of the wicked. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. Let sinners then depart from evil, and do good; repent of and forsake sin, and trust in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ. (BM)He will exalt you to inherit the land;when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring, He shall bring forth thy righteousness , Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. 32-33Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,hes out for the kill.God, alert, is also on watchWicked wont hurt a hair of his head. In no time theyll shrivel like grass clippings, Hell validate your life in the clear light of day. One righteous will outclass fifty wicked, 17For the wicked are moral weaklings but the righteous are God-strong. The promise is very sweet: He shall bring that to pass, whatever it is, which thou has committed to him. His heart pumps Gods Word like blood through his veins; The next time I looked there was nothing. 16Better the little that the righteous havethan the wealth(AG) of many wicked;17for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous. Dont bother with those who climb the ladder. What a high attainment does this fourth precept indicate! In no time theyll shrivel like grass clippings, Hell validate your life in the clear light of day. 3 Get insurance with God and do a good deed, settle down and stick to your last. This psalm, it is very probable, was written at the same time, and upon the same occasion, with the former; and describes the different states of good and bad men; and is full of exhortations, instructions, and advice to the people of God; intermixed with various encouraging promises. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. when they carry out their wicked schemes. So it was seen of old, therefore let us not marvel at the matter. 14-15Bullies brandish their swords,pull back on their bows with a flourish.Theyre out to beat up on the harmless,or mug that nice man out walking his dog.A banana peel lands them flat on their facesslapstick figures in a moral circus. Salem Media Group. 39The spacious, free life is from God, it's also protected and safe. Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone. 2 In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings and wilt like cut flowers in the sun. By his grace and Holy Spirit, he directs the thoughts, affections, and designs of good men. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the fairest of ten thousand, the Lamb of God for sinners slain. Retail: $49.99. The Message (MSG). 12Bad guys have it in for the good guys, obsessed with doing them in. of ), S 2Ki 19:26; Job 14:2; Ps 102:4; Isa 40:7, S Ps 27:14; 40:1; 130:5; Isa 38:13; Hab 3:16; Ro 8:25, ver 22; Ps 25:13; Isa 49:8; 57:13; Mt 5:5, S Ps 13:4; 27:2; 38:17; 55:22; 119:165; Pr 3:23; 10:9. We do this by taking God at His Word and really believing all that His Word tells us. 12-13Bad guys have it in for the good guys,obsessed with doing them in.But God isnt losing any sleep; to himtheyre a joke with no punch line. Read the Bible, discover plans, and seek God every day. 8-9Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,cool your pipesit only makes things worse.Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;God-investors will soon own the store. God knows the believer's days. 40God-strengthened, we're delivered from evil - when we run to him, he saves us. 34Wait passionately for God,dont leave the path.Hell give you your place in the sunwhile you watch the wicked lose it.