God has really been laying on my heart about fear recently, so I thought I would use the passage He gave me: Psalm 37. I understand that it is a long passage, but that is no excuse to not read the Word of the Living God. Read it--it's amazing. This passage covers all the types of fear--fear of something like heights, fear of people, fear of situations, fear of God Himself! It's all there. If you suffer from the disease that we all do of fearing, take the time to read what God says about it--it will change your life.
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Psalm 37 (KJV)
Psalm 37 (KJV)
"1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
18The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him."
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Hopefully God has already spoken to you just from READING that passage! Look how much security we have as believers in Jesus Christ!
Now some perspective. This is .0067% of the entire book of Psalms! This is one Psalm out of 150! All these promises are doubled up other Psalms such as Psalm 121. The promises of God are amazing and plenteous!
From this passage I think we can take some courage against fear. Before we look at the specific parts, however, I want to explain the one thing that is required of you before any of the above promises will work: You must be saved and be obeying God. Consider the third verse above (which we will revisit later):
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."
You must trust in the LORD to have the good come to you. To us Christians, it means you must be saved. If you're interested in accepting Jesus Christ (who is the LORD--"LORD" being the English rendition of "יהוה", or the name of God in Hebrew) as your personal Savior then please visit the end of my post titled "Jesus the Conqueror" for instructions on how to be saved and become a child of God.
Also notice that verse three says "and do good;". Doing good is part of the equation as almost every promise from this passage beings with that phrase or the previous one ("Trust in the LORD...") in some way. Doing good is the same as obeying God. We can see this from 1 Peter 1:2 and Ephesians 2:10.
1 Peter 1:2:
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
So we as Christians are to obey Jesus Christ. Now consider Ephesians 2:10.
Ephesians 2:10:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
We are created in Christ Jesus for good works. Therefore, if we have to obey Jesus and we are created in Jesus for good works, it follows that doing good works is obeying God. It also follows that not doing good works--sinning--is disobedience.
With those prerequisites in mind, let's examine some of the promises from this passage and how they relate to fear. I have divided the verses up into short passages to make them easier to talk about.
Psalm 37:1-2
"1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
Verses one through two teach us not to fear those who do evil period. Why? Because God will take care of them! God says He will take the responsibility of recompensing the wicked. Though the passage doesn’t clearly say God is the One who does the cutting down of the wicked, it is obvious from the rest of the verses that He is the source of the defeat for the wicked and evil. With such power in place, what have we to fear of the evil man? God has the evil in His crosshairs.
Also notice that verse one says “neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.”—we are not to envy evildoers. They are wicked and though they may prosper temporarily (which we will discuss below), their ultimate end is death and destruction (see Proverbs 11:7). If God is going to cut them down and destroy them, why would you want to be one of them? You don’t.
"3Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."
Verse six says that if you obey Jesus Christ, your righteousness will be known by those around you and you will be proven correct when you use your knowledge of God to make a judgement about a situation. He says your righteousness will shine forth as light and your judgements as the noonday. How clear God will make Himself to those around you through you!
Verse seven speaks of waiting on the LORD. God says to wait on Him patiently. Patiently waiting means by definition waiting when you don't want to. For example, if you want something and get it within the timeframe you wanted it, then you didn't have to wait for it according to you. But if you had to wait for the thing you wanted past the time you expected to get it then you would have to be patient. Patiently waiting on God means wait when you don't want to. Further, God says not to worry when you see unbelievers around you prosper and the wicked practice evil without condemnation. When they get what they want and you do not, just remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 6:2, "Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
Psalm 37:8-13
"But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."
Psalm 37:28
"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off."
"35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."
Verses three through seven speak of the great blessing bestowed on believers, followers, and obeyers of Jesus Christ. If we obey God "and do good;", we will reap many benefits. We will garner material gain ("so shalt thou dwell in the land") and be comfortable ("and verily thou shalt be fed."). Further, we are given our desires! Verse four is one of the most quoted in Scripture. "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4). Though this may sound like we can ask for whatever we want from God and get it, that interpretation is incorrect. Notice two things. First, notice verse four says "Delight thyself in the LORD" and THEN he will give you the desires of your heart. Delighting means to take pleasure in. If we are taking pleasure in the LORD, what does that mean? It means we will want what He wants! Even if you don't agree, there's a second reason to believe in that meaning of verse four. The reason is verse five: "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 36:5). You have to commit your way to the LORD and trust in Him for verse four to apply. This means that (1) you have to follow and obey God and (2) that you cannot doubt He will give you the desires of your heart. If you are following and obeying God, you cannot ask for something outside the will of God. That will kill His giving it to you before the giving even started. Therefore we once again arrive at the conclusion that if you are delighting in the LORD, He will give you the desires of your heart--but those desires will also be the desires of God.
Now this is not to say you cannot ask for something material or even to say that asking for something material is wrong. You will receive it if it's in the Will of God (1 John 5:14-15).
Verse six says that if you obey Jesus Christ, your righteousness will be known by those around you and you will be proven correct when you use your knowledge of God to make a judgement about a situation. He says your righteousness will shine forth as light and your judgements as the noonday. How clear God will make Himself to those around you through you!
Verse seven speaks of waiting on the LORD. God says to wait on Him patiently. Patiently waiting means by definition waiting when you don't want to. For example, if you want something and get it within the timeframe you wanted it, then you didn't have to wait for it according to you. But if you had to wait for the thing you wanted past the time you expected to get it then you would have to be patient. Patiently waiting on God means wait when you don't want to. Further, God says not to worry when you see unbelievers around you prosper and the wicked practice evil without condemnation. When they get what they want and you do not, just remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 6:2, "Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
"8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and itshall not be. 11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 13The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming."
Verses eight through thirteen compare and contrast the evil and the righteous. Verse eight begins by admonishing believers to not be angry—which is a common source of motivation so to speak for evildoers. They are mad that you are in the right therefore they act evilly. Verse eight also mentions temptation: “fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” God is saying, even though it may appear that doing evil equals good things, it doesn’t. Part of evil is deception. The evil are only prospering for a short time, then they will receive their just reward from the Reward-Giver. Again, God is saying, “I’m going to cut down the wicked—so don’t be one.”
Verse nine begins with just that: “For evildoers shall be cut off”, but God goes on to say “but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” If you hold out on the wicked—resist committing evil, resist abandoning God, resist the allure of wicked things, devices, and people—the wicked will eventually be gone completely (verse ten). And not just gone, they be so "gone" that you will try to find where they were and you will find no trace of them! Further, you will “inherit the earth” meaning God will grant you material gain. Obviously, you don’t want to misuse that gain, but God will grant it to those with whom it can be entrusted. Verse eleven also says that the meek (or humble) shall inherit the earth. Another factor that drives the wicked is pride—therefore God says don’t be prideful but be meek so that you won’t end up like the wicked. If you aren't prideful you will obtain peace for God says that the meek will "delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Verses twelve through thirteen amaze me somewhat. They say the wicked hate the righteous "and gnasheth upon him with his teeth."--they sit there gritting their teeth at the just. They hate them. I can picture this man standing in front of me full of absolute hatred. He almost burns inside against the just. And get this--for no good reason! There is no reason to hate the just. They are just that: just. The wicked don't even know why they hate the upright. "I just do." they would respond.
But back to the verses. How does the LORD respond to such men? He laughs! Verse thirteen says that the LORD God Almighty laughs at the wicked. Why? God knows what their end will be (destruction) and is so full of surprise that the wicked are ignorant of it that He laughs at them. "If only they knew," God thinks to Himself.
Psalm 37:14-19
Verses eight through thirteen compare and contrast the evil and the righteous. Verse eight begins by admonishing believers to not be angry—which is a common source of motivation so to speak for evildoers. They are mad that you are in the right therefore they act evilly. Verse eight also mentions temptation: “fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” God is saying, even though it may appear that doing evil equals good things, it doesn’t. Part of evil is deception. The evil are only prospering for a short time, then they will receive their just reward from the Reward-Giver. Again, God is saying, “I’m going to cut down the wicked—so don’t be one.”
Verse nine begins with just that: “For evildoers shall be cut off”, but God goes on to say “but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” If you hold out on the wicked—resist committing evil, resist abandoning God, resist the allure of wicked things, devices, and people—the wicked will eventually be gone completely (verse ten). And not just gone, they be so "gone" that you will try to find where they were and you will find no trace of them! Further, you will “inherit the earth” meaning God will grant you material gain. Obviously, you don’t want to misuse that gain, but God will grant it to those with whom it can be entrusted. Verse eleven also says that the meek (or humble) shall inherit the earth. Another factor that drives the wicked is pride—therefore God says don’t be prideful but be meek so that you won’t end up like the wicked. If you aren't prideful you will obtain peace for God says that the meek will "delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Verses twelve through thirteen amaze me somewhat. They say the wicked hate the righteous "and gnasheth upon him with his teeth."--they sit there gritting their teeth at the just. They hate them. I can picture this man standing in front of me full of absolute hatred. He almost burns inside against the just. And get this--for no good reason! There is no reason to hate the just. They are just that: just. The wicked don't even know why they hate the upright. "I just do." they would respond.
But back to the verses. How does the LORD respond to such men? He laughs! Verse thirteen says that the LORD God Almighty laughs at the wicked. Why? God knows what their end will be (destruction) and is so full of surprise that the wicked are ignorant of it that He laughs at them. "If only they knew," God thinks to Himself.
"14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. 15Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16A little that a righteous man hathis better than the riches of many wicked. 17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. 18The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. 19They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied."
Verses fourteen through nineteen provide graphic examples of how the wicked shall be thwarted and how the righteous will be upheld and proven. Verse fourteen says that the wicked seek to destroy the poor and needful and try to kill the upright in conversation. They can't stand those that are moral in their speech! It for some unknown reason makes the wicked angrier and angrier. They can't stand there to be someone upright near them.
Verse fifteen is very graphic as to what happens to these kinds of people. God says that all the wicked have to expect is to have their own devices of evil used against them. Their sword to slay the upright of conversation will go into their own heart. God also says that their devices will, if not used to destroy themselves, be destroyed completely. Their bows will be broken.
Verse sixteen provides somewhat of a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. The verse says that it is better being righteous and having little than being wicked and having a lot. Why? Because the end of the wicked will be destruction! Verse seventeen says that the arms of the wicked will be broken. They will not be allowed to continue their evil. Further, the righteous will be allowed to continue as "the LORD upholdeth the righteous."
Verses eighteen through nineteen talk of the blessings on the upright. God says He knows the days of the upright, and that their inheritance (Heaven) shall be forever. God says (verse eighteen) that the upright don't have to worry during evil times or times of famine because God will provide for them. God cares for believers.
Psalm 37:20"But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."
Now let's move to verse twenty. In this verse, the LORD says the wicked's end is simple: they will perish. They will die and be no more. The more interesting analogy comes from the latter part of the verse. Here the LORD likens the enemies of the LORD to the fat of lambs. This is a reference to cooking the meat of a lamb. What happens? The fat burns off. God is going to utterly destroy his enemies, in the same way that the fat of the meat of a lamb is burned off when cooked.
I also want to point out something else that is very significant about verse twenty. The LORD says the above will happen to "the enemies of the LORD". Now that certainly includes the wicked, but it includes another type of person. Consider James 4:4:
James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
Anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God--that means unbelievers! Anyone, even if they are not intent on going against the truth are still enemies of God if they are not for the truth (Jesus Christ). So unbelievers and enemies of God will be burned off, but what does that really mean? It means (as any Christian will tell you) that unbelievers, unless they are reborn, will spend eternity in Hell separated from God. If you are an unbeliever reading this, know that this doesn't have to be your end! God loves you (John 3:16) and wishes to SAVE you (1 Timothy 2:3-4)--all you have to to do is accept Him (John 1:12). Again, see the end of my post titled "Jesus the Conqueror" for instructions on how to be saved and become a child of God.
We will cover verses twenty-one through twenty-seven in the conclusion.
"For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off."
Verse twenty-eight makes it even worse for the wicked and even better for the saved. God vows to protect those that are His--never to leave them. But to the wicked He will cut off their posterity ("seed" or descendants). They won't even have any sons or daughters for people to remember them (see Proverbs 10:7 for more).
Psalm 37:29-31"29The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. 31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide."
Verses twenty-nine through thirty-one speak of the blessings to be bestowed on the righteous. They will receive material gain and keep it (verse twenty-nine). Verses thirty and thirty-one talk of what a righteous person is. They speak wisdom and they talk about judgement (meaning talk about and figure out situations--without gossiping). Verse thirty-one says that the righteous have the law of God in their heart--they love to learn more about and follow God's commands and laws. What's the result? "none of his steps shall slide."
Psalm 37:32-34"32The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. 33The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. 34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."
Verses thirty-two to thirty-four relate somewhat to verse twelve. Verse thirty-two says that the wicked watch the righteous and seek to kill him. Remember the man I mentioned earlier that sits and burns inside against the just? Now take that man and imagine him sitting down watching a righteous man. He sits and watches the righteous man help up an older lady that has fallen down. What does the act of compassion illicit from the wicked man? More hate.
How does the LORD respond to all this? Yaweh promises in verse thirty-three to not let anything happen to those that follow Him. He says, "The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged." God sits right there to make sure the wicked does not and can not act on you. "I won't leave you in his clutches," God says. God also says (verse thirty-three) that when the righteous are judged, He won't let them be condemned. When that evil man walks up and says, "You are disgusting! I HATE YOU! They should arrest and kill you." The LORD will answer for you, "No."
Verse thirty-four that if you wait on Yaweh and keep "his way"--or obey Him--He will exalt you to inherit in the land. That means that again you will reap material benefits from God because you love and follow Him. The end of verse thirty-four says that God throws in some satisfaction so to speak for you: when He cuts down the wicked, you will be there to see it. This serves several purposes. It shows you that God does justify you (Romans 8:33-34) and that again He doesn't want you to be one of the wicked. By seeing what happens to them, you are constantly reminded of the benefits of following Christ and the complete loss of not following Christ.
Psalm 37:35-37"35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."
Next are verses thirty-five through thirty-seven again speak of the ruin of the wicked. They are like herbs and trees (verse thirty-five) and spread themselves far and wide. Before long, however, they will be as nothing (verse thirty-six). You won't be able to find a trace of them because God got rid of them. What's the opposite? The upright. They should be marked so we can watch what they do (verse thirty-seven). Why? Because "the end of that man is peace."
Psalm 37:38-40"38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him."
Lastly are verses thirty-eight through forty of Psalm thirty-seven. verse thirty-eight says that transgressors shall be destroyed and that the wicked's end shall be cut off. Just more reason not to be wicked. This is contrasted with the righteous in verses thirty-nine through forty. Here God outlines the most basic concept of Christianity: salvation comes from God (Jesus Christ). He says He will help you and be your strength. Imagine that! God Himself is will be YOUR strength in times of trouble. God. The almighty Creator of the entire universe (John 1:1-3), the most powerful Being in existence, Love in a Person (1 John 4:8), the Savior of the world (Luke 19:10)--GOD is your strength. What do you need to worry about? Nothing! What have you to be anxious about? Nothing! What have you to fear? Nothing.
Verse forty wraps it up nicely by saying that the LORD is the help of the righteous. He vows in that verse to help you, to deliver you from the wicked because you have trusted in Him. What's that mean? You have chosen to be saved by Jesus Christ, therefore this applies to you.
With all of that in mind, do we need to fear evil doers? No. Do we have to worry if God will help us in time of need? No. Do we need to fear our circumstances? No. Does God ever fail? Never. We have nothing to fear being Christians. Our God is Yeshua--the God of all the universe, the Savior of the world, the one and only true God (1 John 5:20). We have absolutely, completely, totally nothing to fear.
CONCLUSION
In closing I want to talk about verses twenty-one through twenty-seven (ending on verse twenty-eight). I believe they are the clearest on why we shouldn't fear. I have pasted them below so that you may reference the verses.
Psalm 37:21-28, "21The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. 22For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that becursed of him shall be cut off. 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut of."
Verse twenty-one states that the wicked steal. They take money under the guise of borrowing, but never pay it back (hence steal it). In contrast, the righteous show mercy and give. God says the people that receive gifts from the righteous will inherit the earth--and those that the will be cut off (the greek literally meaning to be destroyed). Is it not odd that the evil commit evil for one thing: power? They want to be in control. Whether it be control of money, people, prestige, etc., they want control. But God says that the righteous are the ones in power. When you show mercy (as above) you receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). Therefore it follows that when you are on good terms with those around you it puts you in power. People respect you, they like you, they want to repay you. The righteous are the ones that gain (and keep) power, not the wicked. Verse twenty-five provides a beautiful reason not to fear: God orders your steps--literally. In the Hebrew, the word translated "order" can have several meanings. The root word ("כון") means to "to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular);. hence (causatively) to set up." So according to the most basic interpretation, it means the LORD sets your steps upright--he builds them up so to speak. Another set of meanings comes from a literal interpretation of the word, in which the word means to "establish, fix [as in fasten to a certain location], prepare, apply." This interpretation would mean that Jesus is literally picking and choosing your steps in a physical sense. A second set of meanings comes from a figurative interpretation of the word, in which the word could mean "appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous." Under this interpretation, it would mean Jesus has planned out your steps. Either way you look at the word, it is clear that Yeshua controls your steps physically by mapping them out or constructing them. He is in control! Therefore do not fear because anything you do was already known and ordained by God before you were ever born. That is an amazing promise.
Verse twenty-four says that even if the righteous do fall down, it will not be devastating. Why? Because Yeshua is upholding them with His hand. The Hebrew word for "hand" in this verse ("יד") means an open hand--this indicates in the Hebrew that the one with that hand has power to use it. God has the power to help you and save you (both in life and for eternity)--all you have to do is ask God for His saving grace.
My favorite verse for this whole sermon about not fearing is verse twenty-five. "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." David says that in all his years of living he has not seen God fail to uphold the righteous or the families of the righteous suffering painfully. David was different than you or I. He fought in battles, he had (for a time) a nation whose leader was seeking to kill him, he had slept in caves, had the opportunity to kill his opponent (Saul) but listened to the LORD and resisted. David went through a lot--through things more intense then you or I may ever experience. And yet he was able to say that not once had he seen the righteous forsaken or their seed (descendants) begging bread. For a man in his position, he was speaking from direct observation. God is faithful.
Further, in verse twenty-six, God says that the righteous are always merciful and lend and that their seed (descendants) are blessed. In verse twenty-seven, God gives the simple formula to be a good person: Depart from evil (in the Hebrew "סור" meaning "to turn off"--turn from the evil), do good, and (therefore) dwell forevermore! As Dr. Charles Stanley preaches, "Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him."
From there it picks up with verse twenty-eight (discussed above) where God says that He loves judgement (the Hebrew word for "judgement" indicating that it could mean justice in an abstract way--that God loves justice), does not forsake His saints, says that His saints are preserved forever (the Hebrew word for "preserved" ["שמר"] indicating protection--God protects (preserves) you!), and that the seed (descendants) of the wicked shall be cut off. God protects His believers and defeats the sons of disobedience and the wicked. What have we to fear? Nothing.
Nothing.
Psalm 27:1-3, "1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."
Psalm 27:13-14, "13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Wait and do not fear for the everlasting God of the universe is watching over you. All you must do is trust and obey--for there is no other Way.
יהוה (Yahovah) is it.
יהוה (Yahovah/God/Jesus Christ) bless,
Robert Austin Rowlett
