Sometimes in the middle of the night, the physical darkness that surrounds me oppresses my emotional wellbeing. With a simple flip of the light switch, my surroundings change. My eyes see again, and my heart is reminded that darkness will never overpower the light.
David explains my job is to trust in the Lord and to commit my way to Him. He also reminds me that anything associated with darkness is not a threat to me.
Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Do not be envious of wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And decay like the green plants.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37:1–5)
How easy it is to be frustrated when the plans of evil succeed. How quickly I despair when the wicked prosper. Yet, how true it is that their plans and their deeds are but a breath. I comfort knowing that “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4).
The Lord allows what He allows. Somehow, He is guiding each ill motive toward His own glory, and ultimately, this means evil is no threat to His people. The dark is given its day, but the light has a role to play in the process. Did you notice His many commands to us in these five short verses? “Do not get upset… Do not be envious… Trust in the Lord… Do good… Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness…” (This Hebrew verb cultivate means to feed. The Lord instructs us to “feed on faithfulness.” We are to nourish our souls by filling up on it. This is our duty!) “Delight in the Lord… Commit your way to the Lord… Trust in Him!”
Which one of these commands is optional? Of course, none. A command is meant to be followed. And we willingly and wholeheartedly obey God’s commands because we trust Him. He is our sovereign Creator. He holds perfect plans in His hands. He is good, and He is trustworthy.
The wicked will do their best. And so will we. Only one side will ultimately triumph. Here is further assurance from Psalm 37 of who that will be:
For evildoers will be eliminated,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land (v. 9).
The wicked plots against the righteous,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming (vv. 12–13)
For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord sustains the righteous (v. 17).
For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be eliminated (v. 22).
For the Lord loves justice
And does not abandon His godly ones;
They are protected forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated (v. 28).
But wrongdoers will altogether be destroyed;
The future of the wicked will be eliminated.
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and rescues them;
He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him (vv. 38–40).
So yes, we may find frustration when the plans of darkness succeed. We may desire to despair when the wicked prosper. But we rest in reassurance “Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked” (v. 16), and as children of light, we totally trust that “The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever” (v. 18).
Liked this post? Follow this blog to get more.