Psalm 37: Truth for Tumultuous Times Part 2

In my last post, we saw from Psalm 37:1-15 that God wants Christians to respond to the chaos and clamor of the wicked world around us by delighting in Him, resting, ceasing from anger, and doing good.

Of course the reason we can rest in the midst of the wicked world is because we know that God is the Judge of all, and because we trust that He will make it all right in due time. If you haven't read the post, click here to read it.

The next two verses of Psalm 37 continue the theme of how to respond when the wicked are prospering. 

"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." (16-17)

It can be so easy to look around and wonder why the wicked seem to "get away with" their wickedness, and even seem better off for it, but we who try to do right just barely scrape by financially. Or perhaps it is that the wicked seem to get far more attention than the righteous. The world shouts their message, but tries to silence ours.

Whatever it is that strikes you as most unfair about our current situation, God again calls us to respond oppositely to the world. The world shouts "that's unfair!" and stamps its feet like a tantrumy child, demanding to be noticed and placated, but God calls us to be content. After all, the little we have is better than their riches, because, unlike them, we have God on our side, and He owns it all!

We can meet unfairness with contentment, because we know God, and because He knows us. Look at the next verses in our passage:

"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. 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." (18-20)

God knows, and will provide for us. However the wicked seem to prosper, they prosper only for this time. They have their riches for now, but we will have ours for eternity! Again, we are reminded that God sees the wickedness of the wicked, and will judge in due time.

Next, God contrasts the behavior of the wicked and the righteous in another area:

"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth 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.

Not only are we to delight where the world would worry, rest when the world would rage, and be content when the world would demand recompense, we are also to meet the world's dishonesty and greed with mercy and generosity. Again, we are to respond to the wicked by doing exactly the opposite of what they are doing.

I admit, it is hard to be generous to a greedy or stingy person. But isn't that what God does for us every day? Notice also that our generosity is fueled by His own. We can give because we are blessed by God, and are destined to "inherit the earth". I could go down a theological and eschatological rabbit trail here, but I'll save that for another day. The point is, we can afford to be generous, because everything we have has been provided by the One whose provision is limitless! He is more than capable of refilling anything we pour out to others. As my pastor likes to remind us, you just can't out-give God!

This generosity is not just financial, though. We are to be just as generous with our mercy. The knowledge of the eventual judgement toward which the wicked are heading should provoke pity in our hearts. After all, they are hurtling headlong into the hands of the Just and Righteous Judge, whose laws they have broken. It ought to burden our hearts, to motivate us to do all we can do to seek their salvation. After all, the greatest mercy we can ever show is to point a hell-bound sinner to Christ!

I'll end this post with some of the most encouraging verses in this passage. Against the backdrop of the darkness of this wicked world, God holds up a bright gem of hope:

"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. 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." (23-26)

Here is a real life testimony of God's hand of blessing on the one who walks in His ways. When the world tries to trip him up, the Lord is there to catch him. When he gives generously, the Lord provides his needs. Despite the hopelessness of the world, God is there, and has promised to take care of His own.

The Importance of Giving During a Financial Drought

Perhaps your state, like mine, has issued some sort of "stay at home order". Ours was issued about a week ago, and throughout this past week I have been hearing of more and more of my family, friends, and acquaintances who have had their income cut off or significantly diminished. This has even touched my own household, and has made me more thankful than ever for the blessing of my little income!

The truth is, we are in exactly the right position for our giving to accomplish what God intends it to. I know this topic is one that is annoying or offensive to many, but it is an important one, and the Bible has some greatly encouraging things to say about God's provision when we are using our money as He desires.

Now, I'm going to be totally honest with you: I'm terrible at remembering to put my tithe in the offering each month. It is a struggle to remember, and sometimes, --like this month-- it is nearly the end of the month before I finally get that check written and put in the offering. Part of that is because, as organist, I am often up front during the offering, but that's really no excuse. It's something I'm working on, but it takes intentional effort to remember. --So I understand that forgetting happens, especially during times like these where we are not meeting physically at church to be reminded by seeing the ushers walk to the front to take the offering. But that it why it is more important now than ever to remain faithful and make that extra effort to remember and follow through.

There are just two things I want to address here about giving: our responsibility and our faith.

Our Responsibility:

 Each one of us has a responsibility to do our part in supporting the local church. It's a bit like the offerings in the Old Testament. The offerings brought in were not all to be burnt to ashes. Many were meant to be used, at least in part, for the maintenance of the tabernacle or temple as well as for the sustenance of the priests. Nowadays, we don't have the same system, but giving in order to support both the work and the workers of the ministry is a New Testament principle as well.

Do you like meeting in a warm building? Do you appreciate having lights on and a sound system making it easier to hear the preaching? How about water so you can use the restroom or wash your hands or get a drink when you have a coughing fit? Are these things you enjoy? They are also things that cost money.

Does your church support missionaries? They are relying on God's people to be faithful in giving during this time so that they can continue to work for the furtherance of the gospel in countries that are being touched by this same crisis that we are facing. In a sense, your church is their "employer". Will you and your brothers and sisters in Christ be faithful, or will your missionaries face being laid off like so many in the secular workforce?

If everyone in a church were to do the bare minimum God requires and give just ten percent of their income, churches would be well provided for, and have the wherewithal to function and meet the needs they were designed to.

Has it ever occurred to you that God has a specific plan for the funds He desires you to give? Part of the joy of giving is the fact that none of it goes to waste: God has planned to use the money you give to meet specific needs. He is a God of detail and order, and knows exactly what He plans to do with your tithes and offerings.

But, you might be thinking, how can I give right now when there is such a strain on my finances? 

That brings us to faith.


Our Faith:
 
Not only do we have a responsibility to keep giving through whatever hardships God allows, we also have an opportunity to see the loving, gracious, generous hand of God that has already promised to meet our needs as we obey Him.

I read in my time with God this morning Luke chapter 5:1-16. It is the account of Peter and his fellow fisherman taking Jesus into their boat while he preached to a large crowd. When He had finished preaching, He told Peter to take the boat out into deep water and let down the nets. Peter's reply was

"Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net". 

 As I read, it struck me that Peter and the others had done all that they could do, to no avail. They had been utterly unsuccessful. I'm no expert on the fishing industry in Bible times, but it seems to me that for the fishermen back in Jesus' day, the formula looked something like:  no fish = no income.

Sound familiar? These fisherman had toiled, had worked their hardest all night long, but were faced with returning home empty handed. Yet, Peter did as Jesus said. Perhaps it was out of politeness or respect, perhaps it was to prove Jesus' plan would not work, perhaps it was with the smallest glimmer of hope that maybe there was some chance a fish might wander into the net --whatever his reason, Peter obeyed.  --And the result?


Fish.

Lots of fish.

So many fish that boat began to sink.


And Peter was brought face to face with the reality that God was standing before him. Struck by the consciousness of his own sin, Peter dropped to his knees, saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord". But Jesus told him not to be afraid, and commissioned him for a new calling.

I know this account isn't necessarily about giving, but it is about obedience, and obedience is at the heart of why we give. --And when we obey, God blesses.

This account of God's abundant provision in response to Peter's obedience reminds me of Malachi 3:10. Here, God literally tells the Israelites, "prove Me", that is, to try Him and see if He would do as He had always said He would if they were to obey.

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

God is saying that if Israel obeys and brings in all their tithes, He will provide so much that there will not be enough room for it all! (Remind you of Peter?)

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that if you give lots, you will become a billionaire, but it does mean that God is faithful, and often uses our times of financial dearth as an opportunity for us to build our faith by "proving" that He really can and will provide as we obey.

Those of us who have made a "faith promise" commitment, this is where the "faith" part comes into play. If God prompted you to make the commitment in the first place, surely He has a plan to provide for you to be faithful now, when it matters most!

So, be faithful, whatever financial stresses you may face, because God is always faithful, and His resources are unlimited!