Focus on the next (right) step

The life of a believer can sometimes seem like the moves of a rock climber: we must think carefully about each place that we place our hands, and focus carefully on where to place our feet. The right or wrong choice can have serious consequences! 

We've seen that when we are wronged, the temptation is to retaliate with wrong. But David says that our focus should be on pleasing the Lord, in spite of how others treat us. Let's read our last section in Psalm 37:

Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
 The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

 

 (vs. 27, 30, 31)

David is pointing us to three areas of righteous living: our actions (verse 27), our speech (verse 30), and our thinking (verse 31). I kinda think we should consider them in reverse order, because things mostly start in our thoughts, right?

 We don't want to be like the people Isaiah spoke about, with a word from the Lord:

The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught. (Isaiah 29:13)

The truth about a person lies within their heart. We need to guard our hearts and ask God to place a hedge of protection around us to thwart the schemes of Satan. It's from our hearts that our words and our actions spring:

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45)

How do we focus our thoughts on the next right step? How do we move our eyes from looking at the wicked to looking at our own lives and doing the right things? Righteousness begins in our thought life; God changes us by renewing our minds.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

If we are "steeping" our mind in Scripture, it will shape our thinking in every situation. Then we can respond in a manner that pleases our Lord when someone wrongs us.

When our thought life is being shaped by scripture, our words will become more righteous. When someone wrongs us, we won't lash out in verbal theatrics. We won't try to "get back at them" with our mean speech. Instead, we will speak in wisdom:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Finally, if our thoughts and our words are in line with the Word, then we won't retaliate with wrong actions. David says we will be able to "turn from evil and do good." (Verse 27) Instead of responding to evil with more evil, we can overcome evil with good:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Instead of being mean, as Paul says in Romans we should remember the words in Proverbs (and he quotes them) and we should respond with kindness!

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:17-20)

Let's recap: David says that when the bad guys are winning, we should do the math that helps us submit to God's leadership; we should be content; and we should live righteously. 

One last thing . . . next time!