Psalms 37:1 I. None who can honestly say they are trying to serve Christ will make such a mistake as to hold up before their own eyes earthly reward as the fit end of spiritual work, and to look upon it as an unheard-of and monstrous thing that a good man should be less successful in this world tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:1 We need words of soothing such as are breathed in the text. There is enough in society, both profane and professedly religious, to vex the spirit and trouble it with bitterest grief. The slanderer's foul tongue is ever ready to attack a holy character. Envy's cruel hand is continually o... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:3 Our text contains three precepts and a promise. I. The first precept is "Put thou thy trust in the Lord." Here comes in a most important question: Who is the Lord, that I may trust Him? The word here rendered "the Lord" is in Hebrew "Jehovah," which was God's covenant name to His people... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:3 God is building up a kingdom that is invisible a kingdom of holy thoughts, of pure feelings, of faith, of hope, of righteousness. God's kingdom is advancing surely, though it advances slowly, and though it is invisible to us. Here then is the foundation of our faith, our hope, our patie... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:4 There is no bodily pain equal to the pain of the heart. Bodily pains call for sympathy, but the sufferings of the heart are hidden; none know of them; none may know of them; they are a concealed, consuming fire, unsuspected by all around. I. I suppose there are many now past the middle... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:4 "I have been young, and now am old," says the writer of this Psalm. Its whole tone speaks the ripened wisdom and autumnal calm of age. The dim eyes have seen and survived so much, that it seems scarcely worth while to be agitated about what ceases so soon. The clauses of the text contai... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:7 Rest is the highest condition of man. It is above work. The maturity of everything is its rest. It is an approach to the Eternal One. For what is rest? The balance of the mind, the equipoise of feeling, a harmony of the inner with the outer life, the peace of desire, and the repose of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:11 Such a promise as this relates both to the future and the present. The text cannot have its perfect fulfilment until Christ shall come a second time in power and great majesty, but there are senses in which it has a present accomplishment. I. Who are the meek? We go to Christ for a de... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:16 I. The Divine power given by the Almighty to true faith and devotion of heart takes up, nourishes, and cherishes whatever is good and comfortable in our condition, makes the most of it, spreads, enlarges, ripens it, as the sun in springtime does the little flowers, which would otherwis... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:23 I. The first truth of the text is that God orders, arranges, establishes, the details of His children's lives. II. God is pleased with him who thus lets his steps be ordered. III. The Psalmist recognises infirmity as an element of the good man's walk. There is a possibility of his fa... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:34 This Psalm is written with a view of encouraging good men who are in perplexity, and especially perplexity concerning God's designs, providence, and will. I. The use of difficulties to all of us in our trial in this world is obvious. Our faith is variously assailed by doubts and diffi... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 37:38 I. The character here presented for our study: the perfect and upright man. The essential principle of the perfectness of which David speaks is a heart right with God, a life whose root and whose aim is God. II. "The end of that man is peace." For (1) he knows Whom he has believed, an... [ Continue Reading ]