Psalm 35-37; Philippians 4 – Colossians 1
HIGHLIGHT
Psalm 37:3 (ESV): 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
EXPLAIN
Psalm 35 is a song in which David condemned evildoers who wished him harm. He prayed for God to deliver him from such people to and judge them so that they could not claim victory.
Psalm 36 begins by exploring the depravity of the wicked, and then transitions to praise of God for his steadfast love.
Psalm 37 is an exhortation not to worry about evildoers, but to trust in God. The wicked do evil, but the righteous prosper in the long run.
Psalm 37:4 is more well known than verse 3, but verse 3 intrigued me. The notes on “and befriend faithfulness” suggest two other renderings “and feed on faithfulness” or “and find safe pasture.”
APPLY
Despite the plots of the wicked, David did not wish to escape from the world. Rather, he urged the tactic of trusting in the Lord, doing good, dwelling in the land, and thus feeding on faithfulness.
In the midst of a corrupt world, we might feel like the only future is escape, but if our trust is in God, we can flourish in the land, not for the sake of being successful and prosperous, but to demonstrate the wisdom and power of God.
RESPOND
Heavenly Father, help me to trust you and do good, despite what the world does around me. May I then be a testimony of your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.