Written by: Gordon Banks - Church Army
Psalm 37 v 30-34
A good person speaks with wisdom, and he says what is fair.
The teachings of his God are in his heart, so he does not fail to keep them.
The wicked watch for good people so that they may kill them.
But the LORD will not take away his protection or let good people be judged guilty.
Wait for the LORD's help and follow him.
He will honour you and give you the land, and you will see the wicked sent away.
Notes
What's in your head will soon be in your heart and show itself in your life!
At the time of writing, this has shown itself to be true once more in the
horrific case of the young man now beginning a long life sentence for the
brutal murder of his girlfriend. It was claimed that he was deeply influenced
by the dark music and videos of Marilyn Manson. But just as what we take
into our heads - through the words we read, the films we see, or the music
we listen too - can have a negative effect, it can also be a force for good.
Here in this psalm we read: "The teachings of his God are in his heart,
so he does not fail to keep them".
These teachings would have been laboriously handwritten and very rare and precious - long before books and computers! - so most people had a way of remembering things that were important, and that included the teachings and laws of God. The teachings, having been learned, were stored away and influenced people's lives. When faced with a particular problem or situation they had to deal with, they would remember and discuss with others the "teachings of God" to help them get a clearer understanding of how they could resolve the matter.
Today there probably hasn't been a time when the "teachings of God" have been more readily available and yet more ignored. We can see the results all around us. After all, if I plant marrow seeds, chances are I am going to get some marrows! So, here's a question: What things are you "sowing" in your life, through your reading, the films you watch and the music you listen to?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for the wonderful rich variety of life: for music and
the arts, for films, TV and computer games, but above all for your written
word that brings the teaching of God into my heart and life. Amen
Psalm 37 v 35-40
I saw a wicked and cruel man who looked strong like a healthy tree in good
soil.
But he died and was gone;
I looked for him, but he couldn't be found.
Think of the innocent person, and watch the honest one.
The man who has peace will have children to live after him.
But sinners will be destroyed; in the end the wicked will die.
The LORD saves good people; he is their strength in times of trouble.
The LORD helps them and saves them; he saves them from the wicked, because
they trust in him for protection.
Notes
In St Alban's, England, there is a hill crowned with an abbey. Down below in
the valley are the remains of the ancient Roman city of Verulamium. The abbey
church is set on the city's highest hill. It was here that a Roman soldier
was put to death, supposedly the first person to have been killed in England
because of their belief in Jesus.
It was a time of severe persecution and the Roman soldiers were arresting Christian priests. But one Roman soldier, instead of arresting a priest he found hiding near his house, took him in and gave him shelter. This soldier, Alban, listened to the priest and became a Christian. When the soldiers eventually came to arrest the priest, Alban let him escape. So Alban was arrested instead and given an opportunity to deny his new belief, but he refused and was executed on a hill outside Verulamium. On that hill a fabulous abbey shrine was built in memory of St Alban. Today, down below, Verulamium, like the once mighty Roman Empire, lies in ruins.
The psalmist writes: "I saw a wicked and cruel man who looked strong like a healthy tree in good soil. But he died and was gone." I don't imagine for one moment that you and I will ever have a great shrine built for us or a city named after us - but we can all ensure that we live for goodness, for peace and for truth. And it is those things, despite all the horrors of our world - the warfare and cruelty - that will remain and flourish. You and I can be part of making sure such things continue in our world, by looking to God for our strength.
Prayer
Lord, help me take a stand for goodness, truth and love, to look to you for
strength in times of trouble, and to know that peace will eventually outlast
all wickedness. Amen
Psalm 38 v 1-4
LORD, don't punish me when you are angry.
Don't punish me when you are furious.
Your arrows have wounded me, and your hand has come down on me.
My body is sick from your punishment.
Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me; like a load it weighs me down.
Notes
Had a heavy session? Perhaps too many alco-pops, or maybe your drink was spiked?
Then this description could be how you felt, or even are feeling right now.
We are just a bit more rational these days - we know that if you drink too
much alcohol, smoke too much, or just overdo it with the clubbing and late
nights, it's going to take its toll. We know about the body and what happens
if we abuse it and don't look after it.
But in the days this psalm was written, they were not so advanced in their understanding of the human body. And for them, God was in control of everything; God was the one who made us well and made us sick. And if we were sick, then we must have done something wrong, because that was God's way of punishing us or trying to stop us doing whatever it was we were doing that was wrong. If we become ill or unwell, it might be because of all sorts of reasons - or it might just be that we have not taken care of ourselves and have abused our bodies.
The guy writing this psalm is feeling pretty guilty and down about something - perhaps he had been to the equivalent of a clubbing night! We can't always help being ill, and today we are not in the habit of blaming God when we are. However, God has wired us so that when we do abuse our bodies, they complain and we get sick so that we take notice and try to stop doing those things that are making us ill. So, you can blame God if you like, but you might at least have part of the answer!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for my body. It is a great place to live in when
things are going okay; be with me when things go wrong. Help me not to take
my body for granted, and help me look after it. Amen
Psalm 38 v 5-8
My sores stink and become infected because I was foolish.
I am bent over and bowed down;
I am sad all day long.
I am burning with fever, and my whole body is sore.
I am weak and faint.
I moan from the pain I feel.
Notes
Have you ever been around alcoholics who live on the streets? This could be
a description of some of them - the hardcore drinkers who will pour anything
vaguely resembling alcohol down their necks. There is utter despair and helplessness
amongst them, in much the same way that the writer of this psalm is speaking
about. We don't know if he was an alcoholic (they had them in those days;
beer and wine have been around for centuries), but notice how honest he is.
Sometimes those who follow God think we can't talk about certain things. We think that God would be offended if we used certain words, or described particular conditions, or mentioned certain parts of the body. I'm not suggesting you use offensive and crude language or take God's name in vain, but that doesn't mean we have to stop being honest. If we are feeling like the writer of this psalm - and he was certainly going through it and feeling pretty down - then let's get real with God. Let's tell it as it is. Tell God how you feel and what the situation is. Also, if you can, share your problems with a trusted friend who can pray with you.
Perhaps next time we ask how someone is, we should really give them the opportunity to tell us! And we can always be honest before God - after all, you can't kid him. Don't forget, God knows all the rude words there are, all the sicknesses there are and all the body parts there are, plus their rude names. You may shock that old lady (so don't do it, that's not nice), but believe me, you won't shock God!
Prayer
Father God, I want to be honest with you and honest with myself; help me find
that special friend with whom I can be honest, especially about the bad times.
Amen
Psalm 38 v 9-12
Lord, you know everything I want; my cries are not hidden from you.
My heart pounds, and my strength is gone.
I am losing my sight.
Because of my wounds, my friends and neighbours avoid me, and my relatives
stay far away.
Some people set traps to kill me.
Those who want to hurt me plan trouble; all day long they think up lies.
Notes
Sounds a bit like a day in the life of a politician just before a general election!
It seems that at times the press hounds those in public office, or even "famous" people.
They seek to set traps and plan to make trouble for them. But hopefully none
of them get to the desperate plight of the writer of this psalm. Most often,
when a politician is being hounded, their spouse or a family member or even
a friend stands alongside them and supports them, unless they are the offended
party!
But for this guy, it couldn't get worse. His friends, neighbours and relatives were staying far away. The only people he could call on were those who couldn't care less or didn't know him, or his enemies. At a time when friends and neighbours were everything, this must have been a pretty devastating state of affairs. But - and it is a BIG BUT - he writes that the Lord knows everything that he wants; that his cries have been heard before God.
If you are ever down, in despair and distraught, then cry out to God who knows you better than you know yourself! Friends, neighbours and relatives may stay away, perhaps they haven't understood the truth of something that has been said against you to try and trap you, but you can look to God for help and comfort and trust the God of truth to judge you fairly.
Prayer
Loving Lord Jesus, when all have turned their backs on me, even friends, family
and neighbours, and when I am falsely accused and blamed, help me to plead
my cause to you and cry out to you who alone knows my deepest needs. Amen
Psalm 38 v 13-16
I am like a deaf man; I cannot hear.
Like a mute, I cannot speak.
I am like a person who does not hear, who has no answer to give.
I trust you, LORD.
You will answer, my Lord and God.
I said, "Don't let them laugh at me or boast when I am defeated."
Notes
There are some things that come to us that leave us speechless and in a total
state of shock. We have seen some of that with the tsunami disaster just
after Christmas 2004, where whole families, homes and everything familiar
was swept away in an instant. But it can come to us in other ways. When we
receive some devastating news, we are left blank, deaf, mute. We have no
answer to give. Part of the reason is that such news is often unexpected;
it comes at us and catches us unprepared.
The writer of this psalm has cultivated a trust in God. That doesn't stop disaster coming upon him, but when such devastation hits him he can cry out in his heart to the God in whom he has put his trust. When facing difficulties, many people find a place for prayer but then just as easily forget when things are going okay. We do well to get into the habit of trusting in God, to taking in his word and to spending time with him before any such problems come upon us.
Like most people, I have in the back of my car an emergency kit, reflective jacket, tools, warning triangle, first aid box and all of that. And I need to check it regularly to see it is all okay so that if an emergency does happen I am ready and prepared and can trust that my emergency pack will help me. A bit like the old boy scout motto: "be prepared".
Prayer
Dear God, I remember today those who face such difficulty or disaster that
they are left speechless. I pray that they may find strength and trust in
you. Help me to be prepared by spending time with you so that I know at times
of difficulty that I can trust in you. Amen
Psalm 38 v 17-22
I am about to die, and I cannot forget my pain.
I confess my guilt;
I am troubled by my sin.
My enemies are strong and healthy, and many hate me for no reason.
They repay me with evil for the good I did.
They lie about me because I try to do good.
LORD, don't leave me; my God, don't go away.
Quickly come and help me, my Lord and Saviour.
Notes
Why do bullies hate us? What have we done to deserve their anger and abuse?
We have not called them names; we have tried to keep our heads down and just
get on at school, college or work. But yet they still find us. They still
attack us with fist or words or even by ignoring us; perhaps by finding ways
of making us look stupid and silly. Bullying is as old as time itself. As
long as there have been people about, there have been bullies. You can even
read about some of them in the Bible, and certainly history is full of them.
Some have led their nations into bullying others.
I can imagine Jesus remembering these verses when he was arrested and roughly treated. I can imagine him asking these questions: "Why? What have I done? I only tried to do good." But they bullied and beat him. The religious authorities bullied Pilate into having him crucified. Then the soldiers bullied and mocked him.
At times like this it is very, very tough. We need to find someone we can trust to talk to and share the problem. We should also try and find it in within ourselves to pray for those who are bullying - not easy, but many following the example of Jesus have been able to do so and found it very helpful. Then, above all, we know we can cry out to God who knows all about bullies. Like the writer of the psalm, we can cry out: "Lord, don't leave me; my God, don't go away. Quickly come and help me, my Lord and Saviour."
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, whose dear Son was bullied, I pray for all bullies: those
who bully at work, in school or college, and those leaders of nations who
use their country to bully others. Help me to find a way of living in peace
with others with mutual respect, care and concern. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes