“Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.”
Psalm 37:34-36
The first word in these verses is wait. Waiting is one of the hardest things for us to do in our fallen human nature. But perhaps it’s particularly hard for us in our culture. The pride of wealth and power demands an immediate response to our problems. Modern technology gives us anything we want at the click of a button. Amazon ships virtually anything we want the next day. Fast food restaurants continue to thrive in abundance even though they provide low-quality foods. Immediate response to our wants and desires is the air we breathe in our culture. Patience is no virtue for us.
This is especially true when we are suffering from wickedness or injustice and wicked people are in great power and thriving. This is the third time that Psalm 37 tells those who would follow Christ to wait, be patient, keep obeying the word of the Lord, keep doing good, and wait for God to act. Of course, Biblical patience and its synonym longsuffering, are fruits of the Holy Spirit. Patience is part of the character of God and is supposed to be manifest in those who follow Jesus. It’s often the forgotten fruit. Everyone wants love, joy, and peace, but how many Christinas are actively praying that God would develop in them the fruit of patience. Hebrews 6:12 says spiritual maturity come from imitating, “those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Patience is actually an essential part of seeing God act in the world.
Verses 34-36 tell us that God promises to cut off the wicked. They will disappear for good and those who keep His way, waiting on the Lord, will inherit the land. Stay on the path, keep doing good by obeying the word of the Lord. It is only by good that we overcome evil. And through faith and patience we will inherit all that God promises.
Glory to the Lord of hosts!
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn
