February 6, 2017: Day 37 – Psalm 37
February 6, 2017If you look at vs. 11 I wonder if you are able to identify where in the New Testament we might find that verse. It states simply: the meek shall inherit the earth. Look at Matthew 5:5 and see if you hear the same words that the psalmist states in these verses. The meek shall inherit the earth. So who are the meek and what earth shall they inherit? Well, unfortunately the psalmist does not answer that question in these verses. But when we look at the New Testament we know that the meek are those on the margins of society. Jesus always focuses on those.
But as we continue along in the psalm he does address other issues. This psalm is closer to Proverbs rather than Psalms. I once heard a theologian state thay reading proverbs is like driving cross country with your mother-in-law. I was never able to relate to that analogy since my mother-in-law was awesome and I actually did take her for a fairly long ride on my motorcycle in seminary. I would take her advice any day if she were still living. But you hear the psalmist say: refrain from anger, forsake wrath, don’t fret. If you look at vs.25 and following you can hear a wizened David, or if we were looking at Proverbs a wizened Solomon.
It is nice to be able to hear a psalm and feel the advice flow over you and lean upon the words knowing that God is guiding in such a way that if we were just to listen he would lift us up on his wings. Allow that to happen.
Would David or Soloman
Would David or Solomon turn away a 4 month old baby waiting at the airport for life saving surgery and send him home because of where he was born? Is this not the definition of the meek? I stand up and praise the lord for the federal judge who stopped the ban on immigration and allowed this child passage into our world
The meek are standing on our doorstep
in the form of a 4 month old baby turned away at the airport because of the country he came from. I believe it was follower of Jesus in the form of the judge who banned the law and allowed the child in our gate.
Bless this meek child with surgery and care from the wealthiest nation on earth. I believe this was the hand of God showing us the way. I pray we will be wizened by the words of David and Solomon. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
When I read this psalm there was something that kept ringing in my ears over and over. If you do these things: Call to the Lord (vs 9), Be humble (vs 11), If the lord blesses you (vs 22), If you are a good person (vs 29) and if you do what the Lord says and WAIT for his help (vs 34); Be this type of person and in the version I read, “the Lord will give you the Land He Promised”. This land might be here on earth if things were the way God originally intended them, but I think this land might also be the place we go to after we leave this earth. It is our final resting place and there we will have peace.