Those Who Wait on the Lord

[Psalm 37]

In the book "The Law of Trust that Leads to Victory" written by Pastor John Maxwell, there is an impressive statement from Ralph Stayer, the owner and CEO of Johnsonville Foods: “I realized early on, and often reflect on, the fact that most problems originate from within myself. I discovered that the biggest obstacle to success is none other than my own mental state, my expectations” (Internet). I wonder, what does it mean that "my expectations" are actually the biggest obstacle to success? Everyone must have expectations for themselves. The greater those expectations, the more likely we are to be disappointed in ourselves. The reason is that we will have to face our own incompetence, something we don’t want to admit. But who would want to acknowledge their own incompetence? Sometimes we need to thoroughly disappoint ourselves. And as a result, we must come to a profound realization of our incompetence. The reason for this is that when we do so, we will be forced to rely completely on God and ask for His help. As a result, we will become captivated by God’s power in the midst of our utter incapacity. And being led by His power, we will live a life that reveals His strength.

Today, in Psalm 37, the psalmist David says: “For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (verse 9). Here, “waiting on the Lord” refers to a faith that understands that true blessing lies only in God’s help and eagerly anticipates it (Park Yun-sun). David, who knew that God's help was the true blessing, went even further, considering that “meeting God Himself, rather than just receiving His aid, was the greater blessing (happiness)” (Park Yun-sun). As I reflect on David’s thoughts, I want to learn four lessons about how those who wait on God live out their faith.

Firstly, those who wait on the Lord do not complain.

Look at Psalm 37, verses 1 and 7 (second part):

“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” (v. 1),
“Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” (v. 7).

This means that the saints should not harbor complaints in their hearts because of those who seem to prosper while doing evil (Park Yun-sun). The second part of verse 1, “do not be envious,” is a similar instruction. In other words, “envy” refers to the feeling of displeasure when seeing others prosper. This is not suitable for believers (Park Yun-sun). Complaining is a bad habit. In John Maxwell’s book "The Law of Trust that Leads to Victory", there is a story that illustrates this: One day, a grandfather was taking a nap when his mischievous grandchildren cut up some rotten cheese and placed it under his nose, making it look like a beard. When the grandfather woke up, the smell of rot filled the air. He thought the smell was coming from the kitchen, so he went to check, but it was not from there. He opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air, but the foul smell remained. Eventually, he realized the source of the smell was the rotten cheese under his nose (Internet). The lesson from this example is that when our hearts are rotten, everything around us appears to be rotten. Likewise, if our hearts are filled with complaints, everything seems to be a reason to complain. We then begin to look for things to complain about. Why do we, as believers, engage in complaints and envy, which are not fitting? The root cause is "anger." David says in today’s text, verse 8: “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.” In Proverbs 24:19, it also says: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the wicked.”

Why does David tell us in Psalm 37:8 not to complain because of evildoers? Why does he say we should not envy those who do evil? (1) The first reason David gives is in verse 2: “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” The reason we should not complain about evildoers is that, just as grass and plants wither quickly, the prosperity of the wicked does not last long (Park Yun-sun) (see also Isaiah 40:6-8). (2) The second reason is found in the second part of verse 8: “…it only leads to evil doing.” Dr. Park Yun-sun explains: “Anger belongs to the flesh, and as such, it cannot correct the external injustices. Instead, it causes disorder in the soul and increases evil. Believers should always have a peaceful heart, desiring the well-being of others, but never harboring envy or jealousy” (Park Yun-sun).

So, what should we do when we see the prosperity of the wicked? We should listen to the advice of the wise. (1) We should always fear the Lord: “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day.” (Proverbs 23:17). (2) We should not desire to be with the wicked: “Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them.” (Proverbs 24:1).

Secondly, those who wait on the Lord trust in God.

Look at Psalm 37:3:

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

As believers, even if we do not attain physical prosperity, we have no reason to complain. The reason is that trusting in the Lord is a greater blessing than physical prosperity (Park Yun-sun). Do we truly understand that trusting in God is a greater blessing than physical prosperity? The prosperity of the wicked ultimately becomes a curse to them. This happens because they live more and more relying on themselves due to their prosperity. They believe they are prospering because of their own efforts. Such wicked people ultimately live only for themselves, and they do not know how to do good to others. A life that does not know how to do good to others can never be considered a blessed life. Park Yun-sun said, “How can anyone truly do good without trusting in God? The hope of the believer in doing good is in God’s reward, and the ability to do good also comes from trusting in God” (Park Yun-sun).

So, how should we, those who wait for the Lord, specifically trust in God?

(1) We must trust in God's faithfulness.

That is, instead of complaining or envying the prosperity of the wicked, we must trust in God’s faithfulness and expect His “faithful reward.”

(2) We must commit our way to the Lord.

Look at Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Here, “way” refers to all the concerns and uncertainties in the believer’s life. The word “commit” in Hebrew, “gûl,” means “to roll” (Park Yun-sun). “It is difficult to climb a mountain with a large stone, but it is easy and pleasant to roll it down from the top. It is impossible to ascend with the weight of worry and sin, but it is easy and pleasant to entrust all our burdens to Jesus, who came down from heaven to the earth to carry them for us. This is the rest that is obtained through faith” (Park Yun-sun).

What is the result of committing our way to God? Look at Psalm 37:6: “He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” In other words, the righteous God will not leave us in unjust situations caused by the wicked. When we entrust our injustices to the Lord, He will not leave them unresolved, but will wonderfully vindicate us and even exalt us like the light at noon.

Third, those who wait for the Lord rejoice in God.

Look at Psalm 37:4 in the Bible:

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

A faith that delights in God is a faith that has grown even more than a faith that trusts in God (verse 3). It is a faith that has reached a level where one considers God's will to be their own will. Therefore, David's prayers and desires are fulfilled. How amazing is this kind of faith? A faith that goes beyond trusting in God to delighting in Him... What does it mean to delight in the Lord?

(1) It is a faith that delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.

Look at Psalm 1:2: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

(2) It is a faith that praises God.

Look at Psalm 43:4: “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.”

(3) It is a faith that knows how much God delights in me.

Look at Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One, who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Finally, in the fourth place, those who wait on the Lord remain silent before God and patiently wait.

Look at Psalm 37:7: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.”

When we see the prosperity of the wicked and the unjust, and we become envious, jealous, or angry, we can no longer remain silent due to the disorder in our hearts. In other words, we cannot find rest in the Lord. Eventually, we become restless. The psalmist Asaph experienced this. We can see this in Psalm 73. He became envious of the prosperity of the wicked and resented the arrogant (verse 3). As a result, he almost stumbled, and his steps nearly slipped (verse 2). But when Asaph “went into the sanctuary of God” (verse 17), he understood the end of the wicked, which is sudden destruction (verses 18-20). With this realization, Asaph confessed: “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.” (verses 21-22)

We must remain silent before God. We should not allow the prosperity of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous to disturb our hearts. We do not need to envy the wicked or become jealous or envious. We must remain quiet before God, waiting for His salvation and judgment. Surely, our Lord will judge the wicked and deliver us from our suffering. By trusting in Him, we must wait patiently and silently.

Look at Psalm 37:9-10 today: “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.”

Surely, the wicked will be gone. Although they may appear prosperous now, their time of prosperity is brief. Moreover, their prosperity will become a curse to them. Because of their prosperity, they will continue to sin against God, and thus His judgment will come upon them.

Those who wait for the Lord are "the meek" (v. 11). In other words, those who hope in God are humble. The humble person does not complain when seeing the prosperity of the wicked. The humble person trusts in God and, therefore, commits all their ways to Him. Furthermore, the humble person delights in God, remains silent before Him, and knows how to wait patiently. Therefore, in the end, they will inherit the land (v. 11). They will also receive the inheritance in the next life (Park Yunseon). Moreover, the humble person will enjoy abundant peace. The meek and humble person hopes only in God and finds satisfaction only in Him, so their soul is always joyful and at peace (Park Yunseon).

May this blessing be upon you and me.

With hope in God,

Pastor James Kim
(Looking to God, who cannot contain His joy over me)