The God Who Makes Our Path Firm

[Psalm 37:23-40]

Can you give thanks to God even in situations where it seems impossible? During this season of thanksgiving, I came across some news while writing thank-you letters. I heard that the wife of a pastor I studied with in seminary has been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. I wanted to share in their pain and pray for them with a heavy heart, so I intentionally thought of my first baby, Ju-Young, who is already in heaven. Ju-Young was also found to have a health problem in November, the month of thanksgiving, and I remember wondering how one could give thanks in such a situation. Now, I can relate a little more to the pain the pastor and his wife are going through, as they are facing a similar hardship during this same month of gratitude. From what I heard, the church the pastor serves at asks members to bring topics of thanksgiving and share testimonies every Sunday. Pastor Kim, on his way to the hospital on Monday, thought that at least God would allow for surgery, so he was thinking of a topic of thanksgiving. However, now, Pastor Kim is preparing for the funeral and has begun a time of fasting and prayer.

In times like these, one of the Bible verses we often reflect on and share is Job 23:10: "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." When I meditate on this verse, I often focus on the second part, "when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." I don't think I have ever meditated deeply on the first part, "But he knows the way that I take." When reflecting on the fact that the all-knowing God knows the way of each of us, I am reminded of Psalm 37:23, which also says, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord." This means that God has already determined our path. And the Bible tells us that God takes delight in the path He has chosen for us (v. 23). The God who knows our way, who has already established our steps in advance and guides us along the path, is the God who makes our way firm. And the God who makes our way firm delights in the path we walk.

Today, reflecting on the passage from Psalm 37:23-40, I want to meditate on three aspects of the God who makes our path firm and receive the grace He gives.

First, the God who makes our path firm is the God who holds us up when we stumble.

Look at Psalm 37:24: "Though he falls, he will not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand."
The phrase "though he falls" teaches us that both David and we are weak beings, who are bound to fall. Why is that? Why are we people who are inevitably going to fall? In today’s passage, we find three related reasons:

(1) The first reason is that Satan knows our weakness and waits to strike us down, so we are bound to fall.
David, in today’s passage, expresses it this way: "The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him" (v. 32). I remember once watching on Animal Kingdom how a lion, seeing its prey, lowered its body and quietly and stealthily moved toward it. Then, at some point, the lion suddenly pounced and devoured the prey. It seems Satan acts similarly. Like a roaring lion, Satan waits for an opportunity to devour believers, quietly watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. Therefore, if we do not stay alert and sober, showing even a small “gap” in our weakness, Satan will relentlessly attack us. So, how can David or we remain standing without falling?

(2) The second reason is that the power of the wicked, who are Satan’s servants, is great, so we are bound to fall.
Look at Psalm 37:35: "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree."
Here, David compares the great power of the wicked to "a green tree planted in its own soil." In the Septuagint, it is translated as "a cedar of Lebanon," which reminds us of a mighty tree. Just as large trees and abundant branches grow strong, the power of the wicked is vast (Park Yoon-seon).

(3) The third reason is that we often fall due to trouble and adversity.
Look at Psalm 37:39: "But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble."
In the end, Satan’s servants, the wicked, with their great power, watch and attack us, trying to make us fall. So, we are bound to fall during times of trouble. However, even if we fall temporarily, we will not be utterly cast down, for the Lord’s hand upholds us, and we rise again to walk the path He has prepared for us (v. 24). We may fall for a moment due to Satan’s attacks, temptations, and the persecutions of the wicked, but because our Heavenly Father holds us with His hand, we get up again and continue walking the path that God has already set for us.

So, what is our responsibility as believers while walking on the path that God has prepared for us?
Our responsibility is to depart from evil and do good (v. 27). The surroundings may be filled with wicked people, and it may seem like their great power is all around, watching and attacking all at once, but in the midst of it, we must make a choice: either depart from evil and do good or depart from good and do evil. If we depart from good and start doing evil, initially we may feel a prick in our conscience and guilt in our hearts, but as we continue to do evil, those feelings will diminish, and outwardly we may seem at peace. We might even increase in wealth (v. 16). But this will be only for a short time. If we compromise with the wicked and abandon doing good to do evil, we will face destruction. However, if we depart from evil and do good, we will receive the blessings God gives us. That blessing is that our descendants will be blessed (v. 26). Psalm 37:25-26 reflects David’s experience. The experience is that David never saw the righteous forsaken or their descendants begging for bread (v. 25), and the righteous live a life of kindness, lending and giving (v. 26). Because of this, David was sure that the descendants of the righteous would be blessed. Dr. Park Yoon-seon said, "People worry a lot about the future and the livelihood of their children. But that is a vain worry. They should not worry about such things, but instead strive to live righteously. In material matters, they should strive to be righteous people."

Secondly, the God who makes our path firm is the God who protects us in times of trouble.

Look at Psalm 37:28: “For the LORD loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.”
What kind of saints does God protect? They are those who love justice and are faithful (v. 28). The righteous God loves justice, and He is pleased to protect those who love and practice justice. Moreover, God does not forsake His faithful saints. In short, God protects those who faithfully practice justice. So, how can we practice justice faithfully? We must have God’s law in our hearts (v. 31). This is the key to faithfully practicing justice. When we do this, our mouths will speak wisdom and justice (v. 30).

How does God protect us when we faithfully practice justice?

(1) God keeps our steps from slipping.

Look at the second part of Psalm 37:31: “... his steps shall not slide.”
God prevents our feet from slipping. Therefore, we can stand firm and continue walking the path we have been given.

(2) God does not abandon us to the hands of the wicked.

Look at Psalm 37:33: “The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.”
The wicked may bring the righteous to trial in order to kill them, but God does not allow them to condemn the righteous. No matter how strong or powerful the hands of the wicked may be, God's hands are omnipotent, and He will not leave us in the hands of the wicked.

Finally, the God who strengthens our path is the one who gives us peace.

Look at Psalm 37:37: “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.”
How does God give us peace?

(1) God gives us peace by saving us (v. 39).
Our God helps the righteous and saves them from the wicked (v. 40).

(2) God gives us peace by being our fortress in times of trouble (v. 39).
Our God becomes our refuge in times of distress. When we take refuge in Him, He protects us and gives us peace. If we do not find peace in the Lord during times of tribulation, where else will we find peace?

So, what is our responsibility as saints to obtain peace?
We can learn two lessons from today’s passage:

(1) We must become "perfect people" and "upright people."

Look at Psalm 37:37: “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.” Here, the “perfect man” refers to someone who is “sincere and without guile,” and the “upright person” refers to someone who lives “correctly and without concealment before God” (Park Yun-seon). In order to enjoy the peace that God gives even in times of trouble, we must live sincerely, without deceit, and live uprightly before God.

(2) We must trust in God.

Look at Psalm 37:40: “And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” We must not walk by what we see, but walk by faith. When we do so, we will be able to enjoy the peace that God gives, a peace that the world cannot understand.

The God who has already determined the path we are to walk guides and protects us. And when we fall, He holds us up and raises us again to continue on that path. And our God is pleased with that path. If God the Father has already determined the way for His only Son Jesus, we must meditate on whether Jesus truly rejoiced in walking the way of the cross. Would any parent rejoice if the path their beloved child walks, as determined by the Lord, is the path of martyrdom? There are parents who cannot rejoice even if their child walks the path of being a servant of the Lord. But if the path that the Lord determined for Jesus was the cross, and He rejoiced in it, then we must ask ourselves how Jesus' disciples should feel. As we follow in Jesus' footsteps, when we walk the cross that God has set for each of us, we should rejoice as we walk that path. Even though we may fall in the midst of tribulation due to the temptations and attacks of Satan and the great power of the wicked, God, with His mighty hand, will hold us, raise us up, and allow us to walk again the cross that He has already set for each of us. And He will protect us during this journey, so that we may walk it faithfully. He will protect us, and He will protect us forever. Ultimately, our God gives us peace that the world cannot understand or offer. This God will make our paths even firmer.

Following the way of the cross that the Lord walked, as we walk our own cross that has been given to us, let us pray that we may rejoice by faith.

Pastor James

(With the certainty that, even while walking through the shadowed valley of death, we can be thankful for the Lord’s guidance as our Shepherd.)