Psalm 37:32-38 - April 29, 2009

Ps 37:32-38 "The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; 33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off." NIV

The attainment of justice requires time! The Lord knows the plans that the enemy has formed against each one of God’s children and he will not abandon us in our hour of need. Verse 33 is a clear affirmation that the Lord will not allow the power of the enemy to prevail over us and he will not allow false accusation to win the victory. The charge of the Lord is for His saints to stand confidently in patient faith, knowing that the victory belongs to the Lord. Justice does not always cooperate with our time schedules but the Lord is always just! David gives us assurance not only that the Lord’s justice will prevail but that we will be allowed to witness the Lord’s deliverance as He cuts off the wicked and their plans.
David’s observation of the process of justice includes the reality that in many cases for a season the plans of the wicked seem to prevail. For a season it may seem as if the Lord has allowed the wicked to triumph over the righteous. For a season it may seem that unrighteousness is flourishing but David draws our attention to the reality that in due season the enemies of the Lord and of righteousness will pass away. I am compelled to consider Hitler. For a season all of Europe trembled at the power of his disruptive agendas to control, destroy and to kill. For a season nations bowed and people fled from his terror. But where is Hitler today? Where is the philosophy of hate that fueled his rage against the Jews? Though other enemies have since risen and new trials remain to be overcome the Hitler’s grasp on Europe diminished and nations united to triumph over that evil.
What David offers in these verse is hope. David presents a powerful contrast between the temporary benefits of pursuing evil and the lasting rewards of a righteous life. Because the upholds the righteous and resists the wicked we can know that for those who maintain a blameless life, for those who choose the peace that comes from obedience to the Lord, there is a future that will endure beyond this life into the life that is to come. No evil in this life can rob us of the eternal blessing that the Lord has in store for those who love Him. We are called to rest in this knowledge and find comfort in the promise of God’s enduring justice against which no evil can triumph. Be patient and wait for it!