Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:3
In its entirety, Psalm 37 is a teaching tune giving a series of insights about trusting in the Lord when everything around you is screaming for you to take other action than the absolute dependence on God that trust calls for. If you have your Bible handy, it will be helpful to read the entire psalm along with this.
Psalm 37 is an acrostic—each segment begins with a different letter in sequence in the Hebrew alphabet. By employing this memory aid, David—speaking as a veteran of years of seasoned experience—is saying, I want you to remember this. He is addressing the issues of life we face.
The psalm’s eight references to “the land” have more to do with promise than real estate. The Lord has made a gift of His purpose to us. We tend to become fearful that He won’t fulfill it when things don’t happen as fast as we would like. David addresses the desperation we feel when our “land”—our promised hope or possibility—is being invaded.
Like any song, this psalm has three elements:
* Tempo (The Environment): Slow down, everybody (“Fret not,” vs. 1, 7, 8)
* Text (The Encouragement): ABC’s of patience (“Trust the Lord,” vs. 3, 5, 40)
* Time (The Endorsement): David’s later years (“I once was young,” v. 25)
The Environment
The issue of tempo
Don’t fret! – This is the Spirit of God saying: Slow down before, in the heat of the moment, you do the wrong thing, because you think, ‘I’ve got to do something.’ The call, the tempo, is to slow down. The whole psalm reflects circumstances pressing the soul with irritation, frustration and vexation. The environment causes us to fret by:
* Thinking that nothing’s going to change. When the pressures of circumstance make it appear that evil will win and we’ll be victimized by that evil (vs. 1-2, 7b, 9-10).
* Thinking that we have to chew back at people who are unjustly attacking us with calculated meanness (vs. 12-15). David says that when you feel it’s necessary for somebody to do something, God will. God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
* Devising our own frantic plans in the face of limited funds and dried-up resources (vs. 16-19). The word “famine” in the agricultural society in which the Scriptures were written meant the future as well as the present was being dried up. When that happens, we make desperate plans: I’ve got to do something; I can’t just sit here and wait. God isn’t telling us to just sit here and wait. He is saying, Wait on Me. David says that those who put their trust in the Lord are never going to want for anything; He’ll come through in time.
The Encouragement
The message of the text
The encouragement David gives is wrapped up in the word “trust” (vs. 3, 5, 40).
* Trust in the Lord. The word used in verses 3 and 5 is the Hebrew word bawtawk which expresses a calculated decision. The word used in verse 40 is behtawk, which means “refuge”. David says we are to make a decisive move toward a secure place of refuge from trouble. It is not a desperation run; it’s a choice to trust the Lord made in advance of the situation.
* Invest your dependence in the Lord (vs. 2, 5). Consider the analogy to an insurance policy. The Lord is saying through the psalmist, Take out a policy now because you don’t know what tomorrow holds. The Lord’s resources are unlimited, His guarantee is secure. You need to own a piece of the Rock of Ages.
The Endorsement
The composer’s noted time
Just as the relative value of the notes is established on the front of music, David establishes the time value of his words by saying, I’ve been around a lot longer than you, and this is what I’ve learned:
* When it looks like that all your resources have dried up,
* Trust God instead of trying to figure your own way.
* When people are chewing on your case and you want to retaliate, or run away,
* Or when it looks like everything’s caving in around you because hell’s busting loose, and there’s just calculated meanness taking place,
* You put your case in the Lord’s hands. Make it your “policy.”
The Song of the Seasoned Soul
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him. But you have to make up your mind to put your trust in Him instead of the arm of your own wisdom, capacity, strength, or race to activity.
When it says in this psalm, “Rest in the Lord,” it doesn’t mean doze off. It’s the rest of watching the Red Sea open before your eyes. Moses held out the stick, and the sea opened. It’s the rest of watching Jericho’s walls go down after you blow the trumpet and shout. It’s not like we don’t have anything to do, but what we do is so disproportionate to what He does.
To hear the melody that goes with these lyrics, order the CD of this message.
“God Will Never Fail the People Who Put Their Trust in Him”
by Jack Hayford
I once was young, but now I’m older today.
As years go by, I’m only bolder to say:
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
The years accrue, but I don’t mind that they do,
‘Cause as they come, I keep on saying it’s true:
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
You may face temptation’s snares, fiery darts flying everywhere,
Or you grow weary with the fight when trials assail,
Or you may go through fire and flood,
You’re tasting pain or tears untold,
But if you’re underneath the Blood, God’s Word will never fail.
So hear my song, this elder’s wisdom,
And as you grow in God’s own kingdom,
You will find some day that you can sing it too:
I once was young, but now I’m older.
As years go by, you’ll grow bolder to say:
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
Just when you’re sick,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
When the kids are raising hell,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
When you lose your job,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
When folks attack you,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
Tired as you can get,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
No money in the bank,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
There’s stress in the marriage,
God will never fail the people who put their trust in Him.
Copyright 2015 by Jack W. Hayford
