New: 5 February 2025
The Power of Meekness
during Injustice
Psalm 37
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness,
delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4-5 NASB
What are we made for?
Life isn't always fair, but God is always faithful. Evil in the world and suffering in our lives is a reality we need to accept and handle well. Scripture offers us hope during times of injustice. The psalmist acknowledges that there is 'the time of evil' (v 19) and a 'time of trouble' (v 39). Denying reality is a bad strategy; learning to handle life's challenges and difficulties is the art we must learn to master. This raises the question, What are we made for? Is it comfort, safety and pleasures or purpose, challenge and adventure? During trying times we must gain moral clarity regarding what we were made for and what we want to seek in life. Such times also reveal (or expose) what we are made of. It is true, life is much more how we respond to it than what happens to us. There are, of course, events we cannot control and some have devastating effects. Yet there are situations in which we can choose what to do. It is better to be proactive than to be reactive. Hasty reactions can cause great harm, while thoughtful action executed in the right way can bring great long-term results.
One aspect of the beauty of the psalms is that they are real. They describe human existence as it is, and in all honesty. Yet, more importantly, the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement to trust God in whatever we might be facing. The Scriptures give us a strategy to handle life well and a hope that in the end all will be well—if not in this life, then in the next! Psalm 37 is a case in point. The wicked rule and seem to prosper, they oppress the humble and plot against the righteous. How are we to handle such injustice?
Perception vs Perspective
What can we do during times of challenge and moral distortion, when evil seems to triumph and doing the right thing doesn't seem to work? The first thing is to gain a new perspective on life and our circumstances. Our perception is how we see the world now, whereas a different perspective can open up possibilities we haven't thought of yet. Not all things are as they seem and with time and responsible action dramatic changes to our present reality may occur. It is vital that we learn the ways of God as instructed in Scripture. This will give us a new perspective that shifts our perception. We can gain strength and strategy from those who went through life before us. As we have already noted in our reflections on Psalm 23 (E1), David the psalmist had his fair share of suffering and injustice to deal with—and he did well. Many of his psalms, he probably wrote almost half of them, demonstrate how he did it. His meditations on God and life also contain instruction for us. As we read and reflect on them, our perception will shift due to gaining a new perspective. Psalm 37 teaches us about the power of meekness during times of injustice.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
Psalm 37:30-31
Walking in the Ways of the Lord
The choices we make will determine our future. The psalmist directs us to the ways of God in line with the wisdom of God. These are the choices that will bring about a good future. While we face injustice we need to have wisdom and not divert from justice (Psalm 37:30). Wisdom will keep us on the right path; justice will prevent corruption to destroy our hearts. It is always tempting to become corrupt while suffering injustice. We might think, 'Why do the right thing when the evildoers prosper?' Such thoughts must be handled with great caution as they will determine our choices in life. The psalms give us hope that our foot won't slip when we stay faithful to the Word of God in our hearts (v 31). Violating our conscience is a dangerous endeavour, one that will lead to ruin. Truth sets free; honesty will pay off in the long run. Walking in the ways of the Lord is the only safe path. Jesus made clear that those who follow His ways, as given in His teaching, are wise people who build their lives on a solid foundation. Breaking God's law will have destructive consequences; it's a foolish choice (see Matthew 7:24-27). These are serious matters; we better take them seriously.
Although the evildoers and wrongdoers seem to prosper and appear powerful, we are not to fear (Psalm 37:1). They will vanish (v 2). The wicked may even prosper and appear successful for a while, yet it won't last (vv 35-36). We should not be tempted to envy those who success with fraud and prosper by corruption. It will all come to nothing. On the other hand, we are to 'trust the LORD [Yahweh] and do good' (v 3). Instead of being afraid and doing evil, we are to trust God and do good. In a world of injustice, corruption will seek to sway us away from the ways of the Lord. They say, people get hurt and hurt people hurt others. This is, of course, an irresponsible and inexcusable reaction to suffering, yet people do it all the time. Those who trust the Lord must not be corrupted by the evil and injustice they suffer from. Doing good in the face of evil is the only antidote to not getting corrupted. We are not to be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by doing good (Romans 12:21). The apostle Paul wrote these brilliant and beautiful words as instructions to believers. It is a strategy to handle persecution and suffering, of which Paul had his fair share, too. We are not immune to suffering, but we can learn to handle it in the best possible way. We are not to take our own revenge and retaliate; we are to leave the injustice we face to the One who judges righteously (vv 17-20). We are to do our part in keeping peace with those who wish to be at peace with us (v 18). If we get an opportunity to do good to those who did us harm and thus bring about peace, we should not miss that chance (v 20). We are to reflect the good nature of the God we believe in (Matthew 5:43-48). We are to walk in His ways and keep our hearts pure.
God is faithful and we are to cultivate a lifestyle of being faithful as we reflect on His faithfulness (Psalm 37:3b). In a world of deceit and betrayal, having a few loyal and faithful friends is great wealth. Being such a genuine friend is great wealth to others. Good people are rare, yet they are out there. Not all hope is lost. Be one of them. True friends give us great strength in life, yet more importantly, we must delight ourselves in the God who never fails (v 4). The pure desires of our hearts, the good we seek to do in this world, come from His hands. He is the Father of lights who gives good gifts to His children (James 1:17). Cultivating God's faithfulness and delighting ourselves in Him are key ways to remain close to God and stay in His ways. Resentment from disappointments and hurts can easily make our hearts cold and deviate us from God's paths of righteousness. Don't allow the ugliness in others to destroy the beauty in you. Don't allow the evil others do, stop you from doing good. Remember, it is not about what others do wrong, it is about what you can do right! We cannot justify our evil deeds by the wrong deeds of others. If we think we can, we are part of the problem.
Trusting God and delighting in Him also means we commit our ways to Him and align our ways with His ways (Psalm 37:5). The promise of doing so is powerful: God will set things right (v 6). We are to patiently wait on Him and rest in Him without fear of others who prosper in wicked schemes (v 7). It's better to suffer wrong than to do wrong. But the injustice we face or suffer from can provoke us to anger or lead us into resentment. God knows this. As a better way to deal with the pain of suffering, we are instructed not be angry and to forsake wrath as it only leads to harm—harm to others and harm to ourselves (v 8). Turn your pain into prayer and then praise! In the patient waiting on God two things will happen: the wicked will be cut off and the humble will inherit the land/earth with abundant prosperity (vv 9-11). When at first the wicked increase their wealth by fraud, those who inherit the land/earth through their humility and meekness will rejoice in what God provides for them. When the wicked plots against the righteous, God will give each person what they deserve; everyone will reap what they sow (vv 12-15). Keeping the ways of the Lord is the right path, both morally and in terms of the long-term rewards. Meanwhile, the little of the righteous is better than the fraudulent abundance of the wicked (v 16). Despite famine (times of need and lack), God provides and sustains the righteous (vv 17-19).
There is a contrast in this psalm between the wicked and the righteous. The blessing of God is on those who keep His way, His judgment on those who do evil (vv 20-22). Those who keep the ways of the Lord have nothing to fear, even during 'the time of evil' (v 19). Keeping the ways of the Lord is what sustains and protects us (vv 17, 23). But even failures and setbacks along the way won't be permanent (v 24). There's a generosity in the righteous that the Lord sees and rewards (vv 21, 25-26). As the Lord cuts off the wicked in judgment, the righteous will inherit the land and enjoy it (vs 27-29). It is vital that we depart from evil and do good (v 27), knowing that the Lord who loves justice won't forsake His godly ones (v 28). We keep the law of God in our hearts and walk securely (v 31). Those who keep God's way will be exalted to inherit the land (v 34). The blameless person is upright and a peacemaker; God will grant such good people a posterity (v 37). Salvation and strength is from the Lord for those who take refuge in Him (vv 39-40). No matter what circumstances we might find ourselves in, there's a way to keep it together when all things are falling apart. It is one of the eternal philosophical questions: how can a moral person live in an immoral world? We treasure His word in our hearts to be able to do the right thing and stay on the right path (see Psalm 119:11), despite immorality and injustice around us. The way to God's blessing is in remaining in God's ways. The meek shall inherit the earth!
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Jesus Christ
(Matthew 5:5)
