WALKING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

February 23, 2017

WALKING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

Psalm 37:20-40

Dinah Smith

Central Truth

As God's children, we are invited into righteousness through trust and submission. The more we walk with the Lord, the more freedom we find in His promise to lead and protect us.

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
(Psalm 37:23-24)

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.

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the LORD^{1

37:22
Hebrew by him} shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

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.

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.

27 Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.^{2

37:35
The identity of this tree is uncertain}
36 But he passed away,^{3

37:36
Or But one passed by} and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Footnotes

[1] 37:22 Hebrew by him
[2] 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain
[3] 37:36 Or But one passed by

Throughout Psalm 37, there's a clear dichotomy between the "righteous" and the "wicked." The psalmist isn't exactly subtle either in pointing out which one is preferable. I like to think that's because of how well God knows me (and others like me). He sees our forgetful, wandering hearts and is generous enough to make truth so ridiculously obvious that we're not able to miss it or deny it in moments of weakness.

So, at this point, we're convinced of at least one thing: we are called to righteousness. But to get there, we have to understand what the heck "righteousness" even means. Some might say it's holiness (and they wouldn't be wrong); others might say it's obedience (and they also wouldn't be wrong). But I believe righteousness is most clearly defined right here in Psalm 37:23b: to be righteous is to "[delight] in his way." We saw a similar call in yesterday's passage: "Delight yourself in the Lord" (Psalm 37:4a). Righteousness comes through a trust so deep and abiding that we can't help but delight in God's character and walk confidently in the steps He's established for us.

Now, let's be clear. We're not promised ease. Quite the opposite, actually. But the beauty of walking with the Lord is that we are promised rescue: "though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand." (Verse 24)

I've been known to fall down often—not only when I make feeble attempts at playing sports, dancing, or doing really anything that requires coordination; but, most significantly, I fall constantly in my pursuit of righteousness. Yet, here I stand today, with new mercy—my feet placed gently back on the ground for the thousandth time, and my hand still upheld by the One who's leading me. Each time He picks me up, I trust in Him just a little more fully and delight in Him just a little more freely. I'll never be able to grasp holiness, but I'm content to hold fast to God's promises instead. 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.

1. When you read in Psalm 37:23a that "[t]he steps of a man are established by the Lord," does it bring you comfort or anxiety? Why?

2. What does it mean to be "righteous" based on this passage? What are some practical ways to pursue that righteousness today?

3. When you've encountered hardship or failure, how have you seen God "uphold [your] hand"? Go ahead and thank Him for it!

4. Take a moment to think of one person in your life who is in a season of struggle. Remind that person of this comforting truth: The Lord guides us when we love and trust Him; so even when we fall down, we are not abandoned, forgotten, or lost. His hand is always holding firm to ours and is ready to lift us up and carry us forward.