Psalm 37, Values, and G. I. Joes

In Psalm 37, David gives the reader five imperatives in order to endure the schemes, attacks, and triumphs of the wicked.

One, trust in Him, because He will not forsake His saints (37.28), because He is a stronghold of salvation to the righteous (37.5), and because He will act (37.5).

Two, delight in Him, for it is from Him that all worthy desires are fully realized (37.4). He is a generous giver (37.25-26), and His salvation is more precious than any earthly thing (37.18).

Three, commit your way to Him, because the Lord establishes the righteous doings of His saints in dazzling display (37.6), and secures their footholds even in treacherous places (37.23-24, 31).  Note that security in the way is found by keping the law of God in the heart (37.31).

Four, be still before Him, because the self-serving malice of evildoers is not worth anxiety or fear (37.8), and it will be by GOD's actiions (not ours) that divine justice will be realized (37.34).

Five, refrain from anger/forsake wrath, because His prescription of justice is far superior to ours (37.13, 28), and because the Lord will provide a peaceful future for a man who practices peace (37.11, 37).

Similarly, the psalm uses five descriptors to characterize the people committed to living according to these standards: meek (37.11), blessed (37.22), righteous (37.26), patient (37.9, 34), and blameless (37.37).  These are qualities of men and women who place their absolute trust and confidence in the Lord.  In contrast to the arrogance of the wicked, who will be humiliated (37.17, 35-36), the humility of the righteous will be exalted, upheld, and lifted up forever (37.17, 19, 24, 29, 34).

What is the ultimate reward for living in this manner?  Written to the Israelite nation, Psalm 37 proclaims "the land" -- the promised inheritance for the descendants of Abraham -- as the prize for faithfulness.  In Matthew 5, Jesus expands this very same promise, citing and modulating David's own words, stating that the meek and blessed shall inherit not "the land," but "the earth" (Matt 5.5).  Different scholars come away with various conclusions as to the purpose of this transition, but either outcome results in the dominion of God's people.  Whether that is over a specific geographical location or over all the Kingdom when He ushers in a new heavens and a new earth, God will establish His faithful ones to co-reign with Jesus in glory (2 Tim 2.12), as heirs adoped into God's family (Gal 4.7).

As I meditate on these things, I can't help but think that the challenge to embracing a Psalm 37 lifestyle is a question of our values.  We must be convinced that what we are committing to is worth it, and then be wholeheartedly devoted to pursuing it.

I can remember a few times as a kid that I really fixated on something.  One time in particular was when my brother and I decided we would save up quarters to buy GI Joe action figures.  These, in particular, were special edition Civil War Joes, and we'd been immersed in Civil War history by our father, who was something of a scholar in that era of American history.  Each Joe was $100, but we wanted them.  So, for something like 12 months, we both saved up change in our sock drawers -- aided significantly by our grandmother, who lived upstairs and would find change when she'd walk her dog.  Back then, she had eyes like a hawk and would frequently bring down the old coffee can full of spare change, enough each time for all three of us grandkids to net something like $25-30 apiece.  When we finally had the money saved up, we had to submit the order form and do some more waiting, because 2-day shipping wasn't a thing back in 1997.  But when those Joes arrived, it was like Christmas Day -- all the waiting and the saving completely paid off.  And because we'd invested so heavily into those toys, we played with them regularly, for years.  But we also took meticulous care of them, so that all the little accessories and pieces are still intact and saved to this day.

In good condition, these babies are going for $160 apiece on e-bay!

I find it so helpful to look back on childhood examples, because everything is so simple for a kid.  As adults, our priorities become so skewed and divided.  My brother and I saw these toys in a magazine, determined to ourselves that they were worth the singular pursuit, and we sacrificed time and energy to obtain them.  We couldn't have afforded those toys AND anything else at the same time, although we were always into Legos and video games too, so these special toys came at the expense of other things we might have wanted.

Why can't I have that kind of unwavering focus for spiritual things?

It's a matter of values, of payoff.  The immediacy of material things makes them attractive.  But its the permanency of the rewards God offers that makes them truly valuable.

In order for us to take the imperatives in Psalm 37 to heart, we each must first determine that placing our trust, commitment, and security in God is worth it.  And then we must remember, as we are committing our way to Him and seeking to be still before Him, that He is still worth it even when our circumstances are screaming the opposite to be true.  And when our anger surges because the wicked prosper and prey upon us, we must seek to see people the way God sees them, and entrust justice to Him, because He is worth it.

God is our just, compassionate, promise-keeping Father.  Those who find their singular treasure in Him will adopt the imperatives David leaves us in Psalm 37, and will ultimately know true, lasting reward.