A wonderful life!

Here in Psalm 37 David compares the wicked with the righteous. He tells us to look carefully at the two types of people. And warns us not to be deceived by the outward view we have of their lives. He also instructs us regarding the future of both. One of the things David says is that the wicked may look like they are having a great life, but their future is dark. Today’s verse also speaks about the future, in this case, of the righteous. Two of the traits of the righteous are honesty and goodness. And then connected to those two traits is an attitude of the heart; they love peace. And the fruit of these three is a wonderful future.

The trait of honesty is simply speaking the truth. An honest person speaks the truth in three ways. First, he speaks the truth to God. He is honest with God about what is going on in his heart and mind. If there is sin in his life, he is honest with God and confesses that sin. Second, he speaks the truth to himself. We spend more time speaking to ourselves than anyone else. We maintain an almost constant conversation in our minds. Many of the problems we struggle with could be dealt with if we would simply tell ourselves the truth and believe it.

Third, he is honest with others. This is where wisdom and discernment are needed. We need to keep all three things in mind as we speak to others; honesty, goodness, and peace. The Bible also tells us to speak the truth in love. Whenever we speak it should be honestly, but there may be times when it is best not to speak because, either you can’t speak in love, or it would not be good, or it would unnecessarily disrupt the peace. When you speak, always speak honestly. However, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit for those times when you should keep silent.

Goodness can also be described as godliness. The Bible teaches that God is good. Goodness is a part of His unchangeable character. God can never stop being good. He can’t be wicked, not even for an instant. To be good in the context of what David is saying here, we must try to live the life that best reflects the character of God. We see that modeled for us in the life of Christ. We won’t do it as well as He did, but we are to do the best we can.

The promise of this verse is a wonderful future. The word ‘wonderful’ means full of wonder. According to David, the righteous will experience a future that is filled with wonder; they will be continually amazed and awed by things around them. I am convinced that describes heaven. But as I attempt to live out this verse today, I do sense a greater awareness of the awesome things of God. I regularly find myself filled with wonder about something. And often these are not new things; I am just seeing them differently. Living a life of honesty and goodness is not always easy, but it comes with a promise from God of a wonderful future. Jesus, help us to live in such a way that we experience this promise in this life.

Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 9:7-10:20; Mark 4:4:26-5:20; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 10:6-7