Week 3

Recently, I was cutting some metal piping under my sink, and the only pair of safety glasses I could find in my garage were the old rubbery goggles that were weathered and scratched. I proceeded with the job, but quickly became frustrated as they obscured my vision significantly. Sometimes, I feel this is how I see much of life—blurry and difficult to understand.

It often seems this way when we observe those who act without integrity or lack character. Have you ever found yourself frustrated by the success of those who seem to act without integrity? It can feel like the wicked prosper while those who seek to live righteously face hardship. We long for God’s justice to come swiftly, but Psalm 37 offers a different perspective—a call to trust in God's timing and assurance.

Psalm 37 opens with a series of actions that guide us as we wait for God's intervention: “Trust in the Lord, do good,” “Take delight in the Lord,” “Commit your way to the Lord,” and “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:3-7). These phrases remind us that while we might feel urgency for immediate justice, our focus should remain on God and His faithfulness. Our sense of justice might be triggered by the evil around us, but we are called to rest in God’s righteous character.

This psalm may seem like a collection of unrelated statements, but there is a hidden order to it. Each verse follows a progression, an acrostic pattern that aligns with the Hebrew alphabet. It’s a poetic reminder that God’s plan, even when it appears disordered to us, has a beautiful structure and a predetermined end. Just as the psalm progresses step by step, God’s purposes are unfolding—even when it feels like chaos reigns.

The New Testament echoes this assurance in 2 Peter 3:9, which says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This verse reminds us that God’s timing, though it may seem slow to us, is rooted in His patience and desire for redemption.

Psalm 37 invites us to shift our perspective—to trust in God’s control even when we do not understand. We can be assured that evil will not have the last word and that God's justice will ultimately prevail. In the meantime, we are called to keep our eyes on Him, delighting in His character, and trusting that His plans, though sometimes mysterious, are always good.