1
00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,760
Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

2
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.

3
00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,560
Speaker 1: You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm

4
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:21,480
Speaker 1: John Stogey, and today we're in Psalm thirty seven and

5
00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:27,520
Speaker 1: we'll be reading from the New English translation by David.

6
00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,360
Speaker 1: Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed. Do

7
00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,360
Speaker 1: not envy evildoers, for they will quickly dry up like

8
00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:42,519
Speaker 1: grass and wither away like plants. Trust in the Lord

9
00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,040
Speaker 1: and do what is right. Settle in the land and

10
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,200
Speaker 1: maintain your integrity. Then you will take delight in the Lord,

11
00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,360
Speaker 1: and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to

12
00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,240
Speaker 1: the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act on

13
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,880
Speaker 1: your behalf. He will vindicate you in broad daylight and

14
00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,880
Speaker 1: publicly defend your just cause. Wait patiently for the Lord,

15
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,320
Speaker 1: Wait confidently for him. Do not fret over the apparent

16
00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 1: success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes.

17
00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,080
Speaker 1: Do not be angry and frustrated. Do not fret that

18
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,320
Speaker 1: only leads to trouble. Wicked men will be wiped out,

19
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,080
Speaker 1: But those who rely on the Lord are the ones

20
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,679
Speaker 1: who will possess the land. Evil men will soon disappear.

21
00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,840
Speaker 1: You will stare at the spot where they once were,

22
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,600
Speaker 1: but they will be gone. But the oppressed will possess

23
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:45,080
Speaker 1: the land and enjoy great prosperity. Evil men plot against

24
00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,200
Speaker 1: the godly and viciously attack them. The Lord laughs in

25
00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,600
Speaker 1: disgust at them, for he knows that their day is coming.

26
00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,280
Speaker 1: Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows to

27
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,000
Speaker 1: bring down the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those

28
00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,680
Speaker 1: who are godly. Their swords will pierce their own hearts,

29
00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,840
Speaker 1: and their bows will be broken. The little bit that

30
00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 1: a godly man owns is better than the wealth of

31
00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,720
Speaker 1: many evil men. For evil men will lose their power,

32
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,640
Speaker 1: but the Lord sustains the godly. The Lord watches over

33
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,960
Speaker 1: the innocent day by day, and they possess a permanent inheritance.

34
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,720
Speaker 1: They will not be ashamed when hard times come. When

35
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,240
Speaker 1: famine comes, they will have enough to eat. But evil

36
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,480
Speaker 1: men will die. The Lord's enemies will be incinerated. They

37
00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,600
Speaker 1: will go up and smoke. Evil men borrow, but do

38
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,000
Speaker 1: not repay their debt. But the godly show compassion and

39
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:52,240
Speaker 1: are generous. Surely, those favored by the Lord will possess

40
00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,200
Speaker 1: the land but those rejected by him will be wiped out.

41
00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,560
Speaker 1: The Lord grants success to the one who's being behavior

42
00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,680
Speaker 1: he finds commendable. Even if he trips, he will not

43
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,960
Speaker 1: fall headlong, for the Lord holds his hand. I was

44
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,799
Speaker 1: once young, now I am old. I have never seen

45
00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,280
Speaker 1: a godly man abandoned or his children forced to search

46
00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:23,160
Speaker 1: for food all day long. He shows compassion and lends

47
00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,520
Speaker 1: to others, and his children are blessed. Turn away from evil.

48
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:34,080
Speaker 1: Do what is right. Then you will enjoy lasting security,

49
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:39,120
Speaker 1: for the Lord promotes justice and never abandons his faithful followers.

50
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,320
Speaker 1: They are permanently secure, but the children of evil men

51
00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,560
Speaker 1: are wiped out. The godly will possess the land and

52
00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:52,160
Speaker 1: will dwell in it permanently. The godly speak wise words

53
00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,960
Speaker 1: and promote justice. The law of their God controls their thinking.

54
00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:02,080
Speaker 1: Their feet do not slip. Evil men set an ambush

55
00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 1: for the godly and try to kill them, but the

56
00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,400
Speaker 1: Lord does not surrender the godly or allow them to

57
00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,520
Speaker 1: be condemned in a court of law. Rely on the Lord.

58
00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,440
Speaker 1: Obey his commands. Then he will permit you to possess

59
00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,960
Speaker 1: the land. You will see the demise of evil men.

60
00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,800
Speaker 1: I have seen ruthless, evil men growing in influence like

61
00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,400
Speaker 1: a green tree grows in its native soil. But then

62
00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:35,440
Speaker 1: one passes by and suddenly they have disappeared. I looked

63
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,159
Speaker 1: for them, but they could not be found. Take note

64
00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:43,960
Speaker 1: of the one who has integrity, observe the godly, for

65
00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:49,200
Speaker 1: the one who promotes peace has a future. Sinful rebels

66
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,080
Speaker 1: are totally destroyed. Evil men have no future. But the

67
00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,320
Speaker 1: Lord delivers the godly. He protects them in times of trouble.

68
00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,880
Speaker 1: The Lord helps them and rescues them. He rescues them

69
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,760
Speaker 1: from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection.

70
00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,560
Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and

71
00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,320
Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege to be able to

72
00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,159
Speaker 1: look at it together today. And we thank you, Lord

73
00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,400
Speaker 1: that you are the one who rescues us from evil.

74
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,520
Speaker 1: You rescue us from the hands of evil men, You

75
00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,719
Speaker 1: rescue us from sin, you rescue us from death. Lord,

76
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,320
Speaker 1: we know that through faith in your son Jesus Christ,

77
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,160
Speaker 1: we are rescued from all of these things. And we're grateful,

78
00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,159
Speaker 1: Lord for the fact that you love us and that

79
00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,600
Speaker 1: you accomplish this kind of task in our lives. Lord,

80
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,800
Speaker 1: We're also grateful for the reminder that we see in

81
00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,400
Speaker 1: your word here that you do not abandon your children.

82
00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,240
Speaker 1: You won't leave us, you won't forsake us. You're with

83
00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:57,040
Speaker 1: us continually, and we're grateful for that. So, Lord, as

84
00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,599
Speaker 1: we live out our faith and your son Jesus Christ,

85
00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,840
Speaker 1: we pray Lord that throughout the course of this day,

86
00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,640
Speaker 1: that you would be honored, and that you would be glorified,

87
00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,560
Speaker 1: and that our confidence would be in you. Because you

88
00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,560
Speaker 1: protect your children, you grant us the gift of the

89
00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,520
Speaker 1: righteousness of your son Jesus Christ, and you never forsake

90
00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,080
Speaker 1: those that you've called unto yourself. So we're thankful for

91
00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,760
Speaker 1: these things. Lord, We're grateful for these reminders, and we

92
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,560
Speaker 1: thank you for your presence with us today. We pray

93
00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,760
Speaker 1: this all in Jesus' name. Amen,