JUNE 17

The theme of Psalms 36 and 37 is “trust in God.” In
Psalm 36, what the wicked man is and does is contrasted with what
the Lord is and does. The Lord is to be petitioned and trusted.

Psalm 37 is one of the best-loved of all the Psalms. Verse 4
is one of my key verses in the Old Testament. “Delight thyself also
in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
This Psalm tells of God’s provision for His children. He also
promises us His protection and His peace. He tells us that He will
give us the desires of our heart if we will delight ourselves in
Him. When I first read that verse many years ago I could not believe
it could be true. Could God possibly give me the desires of my
heart? The answer is–YES! If I meet His conditions; if I delight
myself in Him. The word “delight” means “to fall in love with.” If I
am willing to fall in love with the Lord Jesus, and abandon my will
to His will in every matter; there is no end to the desires He will
give me.

David always seems to be puzzled by the prevalence of
wickedness; and in Psalm 37 he gives his philosophy as to how to
live in the midst of wicked people–do good, trust God, and don’t
worry!

Psalm 38 is a Psalm of bitter anguish, another of the
Penitential Psalms. David seemed to be suffering from some loathsome
disease, caused by his sin. Because of it, his closest friends and
nearest relatives had become estranged, and enemies had multiplied
and become very bold. This Psalm shows how the “man after God’s own
heart” sometimes went to the depths in sorrow and humiliation for
his sin.