| FEATURE ARTICLE |
| THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH! |
| A commentary on Psalms 37 by Matt Ravenhouk |
It is a good thing that our God is patient and longsuffering, or none of us would be saved this day. If God were like a baseball umpire,
and all we got was three strikes and we're out, the game would have been over by the time we turned twenty. But the Bible states that God
knows our frame. He knows what we are made of --- after all, he formed us out of the dust of the earth, didn't he?
"For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." (Psalms 103:14)
But God is not willing that any should perish, but that all men would repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so he gives us ample time to
come to our senses and submit to Jesus as Lord. It is for that very reason based upon outward appearances, that it seems like the wicked
are getting away with their evil deeds --- but do not be deceived: They are not getting away with anything at all. God is very patient and
longsuffering, but he is not weak or stupid: there is a limit to his patience. It's no different now than in the days of Noah, or the days of Lot.
God stated unequivocally that his Spirit would not always strive with man, but that a day of reckoning is surely coming upon mankind, both
individually, and collectively. That is why it is so important to read the Scriptures, and commit them to memory. Psalms 37 is a very
valuable tool for use in the Christian experience.
"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." (Psalms 37:1-2)
Do not let it get to you, and don't become bitter because of those that do evil. Do not envy them either, because like the grass, they can
only grow so tall before God mows them down, and those of them who escape the mowing will be scorched by the heat and wither away.
Nobody lives forever in the flesh since the day that Adam ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." (Vv.3-6)
Don't worry that the wicked are prospering: You just trust in the LORD, and know that he is able to take care of his children and feed
them even in a time of famine. The wicked may be driving up the cost of food, gas, and all of the commodities that we require to live, but
Gas, oil, corn, rice, meat, and vegetables do not belong to the wicked: They belong to God. Never forget that. One of the greatest sins that
the Israelites committed in the wilderness, was that they questioned God's willingness and his ability to provide for them. The Scripture
states that they placed limits upon God's power.
"The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalms 24:1)
"Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? Can he provide
flesh for his people?"
"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:19-20, 41)
Don't pay attention to the stock market, or the politicians, or the perfidious prophets of the News Media: Just delight yourself in God's
Word, and commit your plans to the LORD, and trust him to bring them to pass. And do not resent the fact that your good deeds are not
recognized by Society either: In due season, God will praise you in the presence of your enemies. God is not subject to economic
recession, depression, or to political upheaval, nor to the whims of a depraved society. God delivered Noah from the Great Flood, and he
delivered Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah --- But bear in mind that God would have spared Sodom if he could have
found even ten righteous men in the entire city.
"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man
who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Vv. 7-11)
Rest in God, and pay no attention to the likes of George W. Bush, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain: It may seem as if they
are winning the battle against righteousness, and it tends to make the true believer in Jesus Christ very angry. Forget them: One day soon
they will be cut off. You're going to look around and they won't be there anymore. But those that wait upon the LORD are going to inherit the
earth, and bask in the sunshine of peace and prosperity.
"The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of
upright conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken." (Vv. 12-15)
The Democrats, Republicans, the environmentalists, and the gay activists snarl and revile the true Christians. They spend their entire
waking hours plotting ways to defeat Christianity, and to steal from the poor and give it to the rich. God is laughing at their folly. He knows
that their day is coming, and that it will take them by surprise. They will be killed by their own arrows and swords.
"A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."
20: But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke
shall they consume away.(Vv. 16-20)
It may not seem like you have much, but if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you are far richer than Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. You have
the sure promise of God in Psalms 103 that all your sins are forgiven, and all your diseases will be healed. One day the wicked will have
their arms broken, and fall from power, while God upholds you with his mighty right hand. You will inherit life eternal, while the wicked burn
in the fires of Hell. God will feed you in times of famine, while the children of the wicked go hungry.
"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off." (Vv. 21-22)
The wicked borrow money from the poor through unjust taxation, bond sales, and by stealing their Social Security funds, and then they
turn right around and inflate the currency so that they can pay the debt in mere pennies on the dollar in terms of purchasing power.
Righteous people do not lend money at interest, but give it away instead. If one of your relatives is heavily in debt, and asks to borrow
money from you, why would you think you are helping him or her by placing them further in debt? Better to just give them the money, and
now they won't have to hide from you when they cannot repay your loan. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Those that
are blessed will inherit the earth, while the wicked will be suddenly cast into Hell.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." (Vv.23-24)
The Lord delights in those that follow his precepts and commandments. They may slip every now and then, but God is able to lift them
up and deliver them.
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Vv.25-26)
In all of history God has never forsaken the righteous, nor reduced them to the status of beggars. When the righteous shows mercy and
lends, his children will also be blessed.
"Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are
preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of
his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not:
yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and
deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." (Vv.27-40)
Ignore the wicked, and don't pay attention to what you perceive as "success." Just you make it your ambition to depart from evil and to
do good. The LORD loves justice, and he will not forget you. But the children of the wicked are an entirely different matter. They have no
guarantees.
If you want to avoid slipping into sin, depression and misery, keep the Word of God in your heart and in your mind. Meditate upon it day
and night. Avoid foolish talk which only leads to sin, and speak of justice and share the wisdom of God with others. When you see the
Bush family, the Cheneys, the Rumsfelds, the Clintons, the Obamas, and the McCains gain more power by the day, remember that soon
they will be gone, and their memories will vanish. But as for the true believer in Christ, he will flourish and prosper like a green tree planted
by the river (Psalms 1).
Remember that the bird of politics has a right wing and a left wing --- But they both propel the bird in the same direction. That is why we
are commanded by God not to associate with those of either persuasion, but follow the path that God has ordained.
"Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil." (Proverbs 4:27)
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall:" (2 Peter 1:5-10)
and all we got was three strikes and we're out, the game would have been over by the time we turned twenty. But the Bible states that God
knows our frame. He knows what we are made of --- after all, he formed us out of the dust of the earth, didn't he?
"For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." (Psalms 103:14)
But God is not willing that any should perish, but that all men would repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so he gives us ample time to
come to our senses and submit to Jesus as Lord. It is for that very reason based upon outward appearances, that it seems like the wicked
are getting away with their evil deeds --- but do not be deceived: They are not getting away with anything at all. God is very patient and
longsuffering, but he is not weak or stupid: there is a limit to his patience. It's no different now than in the days of Noah, or the days of Lot.
God stated unequivocally that his Spirit would not always strive with man, but that a day of reckoning is surely coming upon mankind, both
individually, and collectively. That is why it is so important to read the Scriptures, and commit them to memory. Psalms 37 is a very
valuable tool for use in the Christian experience.
"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." (Psalms 37:1-2)
Do not let it get to you, and don't become bitter because of those that do evil. Do not envy them either, because like the grass, they can
only grow so tall before God mows them down, and those of them who escape the mowing will be scorched by the heat and wither away.
Nobody lives forever in the flesh since the day that Adam ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." (Vv.3-6)
Don't worry that the wicked are prospering: You just trust in the LORD, and know that he is able to take care of his children and feed
them even in a time of famine. The wicked may be driving up the cost of food, gas, and all of the commodities that we require to live, but
Gas, oil, corn, rice, meat, and vegetables do not belong to the wicked: They belong to God. Never forget that. One of the greatest sins that
the Israelites committed in the wilderness, was that they questioned God's willingness and his ability to provide for them. The Scripture
states that they placed limits upon God's power.
"The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalms 24:1)
"Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? Can he provide
flesh for his people?"
"Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (Psalm 78:19-20, 41)
Don't pay attention to the stock market, or the politicians, or the perfidious prophets of the News Media: Just delight yourself in God's
Word, and commit your plans to the LORD, and trust him to bring them to pass. And do not resent the fact that your good deeds are not
recognized by Society either: In due season, God will praise you in the presence of your enemies. God is not subject to economic
recession, depression, or to political upheaval, nor to the whims of a depraved society. God delivered Noah from the Great Flood, and he
delivered Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah --- But bear in mind that God would have spared Sodom if he could have
found even ten righteous men in the entire city.
"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man
who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Vv. 7-11)
Rest in God, and pay no attention to the likes of George W. Bush, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain: It may seem as if they
are winning the battle against righteousness, and it tends to make the true believer in Jesus Christ very angry. Forget them: One day soon
they will be cut off. You're going to look around and they won't be there anymore. But those that wait upon the LORD are going to inherit the
earth, and bask in the sunshine of peace and prosperity.
"The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of
upright conversation.
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken." (Vv. 12-15)
The Democrats, Republicans, the environmentalists, and the gay activists snarl and revile the true Christians. They spend their entire
waking hours plotting ways to defeat Christianity, and to steal from the poor and give it to the rich. God is laughing at their folly. He knows
that their day is coming, and that it will take them by surprise. They will be killed by their own arrows and swords.
"A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."
20: But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke
shall they consume away.(Vv. 16-20)
It may not seem like you have much, but if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you are far richer than Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. You have
the sure promise of God in Psalms 103 that all your sins are forgiven, and all your diseases will be healed. One day the wicked will have
their arms broken, and fall from power, while God upholds you with his mighty right hand. You will inherit life eternal, while the wicked burn
in the fires of Hell. God will feed you in times of famine, while the children of the wicked go hungry.
"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off." (Vv. 21-22)
The wicked borrow money from the poor through unjust taxation, bond sales, and by stealing their Social Security funds, and then they
turn right around and inflate the currency so that they can pay the debt in mere pennies on the dollar in terms of purchasing power.
Righteous people do not lend money at interest, but give it away instead. If one of your relatives is heavily in debt, and asks to borrow
money from you, why would you think you are helping him or her by placing them further in debt? Better to just give them the money, and
now they won't have to hide from you when they cannot repay your loan. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Those that
are blessed will inherit the earth, while the wicked will be suddenly cast into Hell.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." (Vv.23-24)
The Lord delights in those that follow his precepts and commandments. They may slip every now and then, but God is able to lift them
up and deliver them.
"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Vv.25-26)
In all of history God has never forsaken the righteous, nor reduced them to the status of beggars. When the righteous shows mercy and
lends, his children will also be blessed.
"Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are
preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of
his steps shall slide.
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not:
yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and
deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." (Vv.27-40)
Ignore the wicked, and don't pay attention to what you perceive as "success." Just you make it your ambition to depart from evil and to
do good. The LORD loves justice, and he will not forget you. But the children of the wicked are an entirely different matter. They have no
guarantees.
If you want to avoid slipping into sin, depression and misery, keep the Word of God in your heart and in your mind. Meditate upon it day
and night. Avoid foolish talk which only leads to sin, and speak of justice and share the wisdom of God with others. When you see the
Bush family, the Cheneys, the Rumsfelds, the Clintons, the Obamas, and the McCains gain more power by the day, remember that soon
they will be gone, and their memories will vanish. But as for the true believer in Christ, he will flourish and prosper like a green tree planted
by the river (Psalms 1).
Remember that the bird of politics has a right wing and a left wing --- But they both propel the bird in the same direction. That is why we
are commanded by God not to associate with those of either persuasion, but follow the path that God has ordained.
"Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil." (Proverbs 4:27)
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall:" (2 Peter 1:5-10)