Psalm 37 (P2), 365 DAYS OF LOVE #284

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge? This is what the wicked are like--always carefee, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence." Psalm 73:1-13

NOTES: ²⁰ But the wicked will perish: 

   Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
   they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

 ²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
   but the righteous give generously;
²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
   but those he curses will be destroyed.

 ²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
   of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
   for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

 ²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
   yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
   their children will be a blessing.^[b]

 ²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
   then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
   and will not forsake his faithful ones.

   Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
   the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
   and dwell in it forever.

 ³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
   and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
   their feet do not slip.

 ³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
   intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
   or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

 ³⁴ Hope in the LORD
   and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
   when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

 ³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
   flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
   though I looked for him, he could not be found.

 ³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
   a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
   there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

 ³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
   he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 
⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
   he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.

I really love this passage because I feel like so much of it is applicable to my own spiritual walk. Verse 23-24 says: "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." God knows that I've stumbled many, many times, and will continue to stumble for the rest of my life. However, looking back at each time I failed God, it is undoubtedly ALWAYS God who brings me back into His arms. I can only attribute my life and circumstance now to God's grace and mercy shown in my life, and can't even begin to imagine how horrible my life would be without Him. I know it sounds cliche, but sometimes I am just blown away by God's grace. My own sin is pretty disgusting, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I am surprised by it. How God takes me out of the pit each and everytime and brings me back into His hands is what blows me away. "Though [I] stumble, [I] will not fall, for the Lord upholds [me] with his hand." Hallelujah!

ACT OF LOVE: Boy, these days have been such a blur with so much going on! I had a jam-packed day of rehearsals, financial aid apps, spending time with my sister, and general schoolwork. Everything that happened today is sort of meshed together in my memory, so here's a random/broken? (I can't think of the word) list of some acts of love:
-Gave my sister the rest of my pad of Bristol Board to take back with her so that she can practice drawing on it!
-Accompanied two (separate) friends to get food today during rehearsal
-Helped my other friend try to find pastels to use on her piece (we couldn't find it though....)