Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Water ALWAYS takes the path of least resistance.

It is easy to walk down the road when there are no troubles and there is no danger.

There is also little growth on that path and there is little life.

Any dead fish can float down stream, but only the live ones can turn around and swim against the current and against much resistance.

Psalm 37 as we remember was written by David in the twilight of his life.

He is writing from the position of experience of a life lived of walking with God.

It is a difficult path to walk and there are many challenges along the way.

Jesus spoke of two paths.

The answer to how do we respond when the wicked around us seem to be triumphing and winning and gaining over us.

Is it time to throw in the towel, is it time to live by the platitude - if you cant beat em then join em?

No we must continue walking rightly and David gives us the ways that we can do that.

Right Steps Established By The Lord

David says that a person’s steps are established by the LORD.

Now its not in here, but the original language isnt talking about every person’s steps being established by the LORD.

The original language and intent is that the good man’s steps are established by the LORD.

Their steps are ordered, founded or set upon by the LORD.

Walking rightly requires right steps and right steps are established by the LORD.

The steps are ordered and established by the LORD - this means which steps are taken, how many steps are taken and also most importantly when those steps are taken.

This is important and we dont want to miss this - but this also indicates that not only the forward progress of steps is ordered by the LORD but also the stops in between steps.

The stops or times or waiting, inactivity, or forced rest are also established by the LORD.

It also says that he takes pleasure in his way - and I struggled to understand which he is he.

Is it He the LORD who takes pleasure in the way of the one whose steps He the LORD establishes?

Or is it he the ones who steps are established by the LORD takes pleasure in His the LORD’s way?

I believe it is correct both ways.

God takes pleasure in the way of the one whose steps He has established, and the one whose steps are established by the LORD takes pleasure in the LORD’s way.

The LORD is pleased with the one who walks in His way, and the one who walks in the way of the LORD finds pleasure in His ways.

David says the person finds pleasure in his way and I think that is because of what he writes next in verse 24.

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD supports Him with His hand.

To be overwhelmed is to be hurled down or thrown down forcefully.

David knows that the way the LORD has us walk in and the steps He orders for us are not always easy and they arent always necessarily safe but neither will He lead us into destruction or temptation that is beyond our strength unless He gives also His strength to us.

If you stumble along the way - perhaps struggling with obedience or faith He wont cast you off or kick you out.

When we fall and slip on the LORD’s path He picks up up with His own hand.

What a strong hand to lift Peter from the water

Steps Marked By Generous and Good Works

David then remarks about how the steps of the one walking rightly are marked by generosity and doing good works.

David speaks about his whole life experience from young to old he has never seen the righteous abandoned (forsaken) or his (the righteous man’s or God’s) children begging for bread.

David was aware of a time when there was a fearful famine in the land and some fled to Moab - Ruth 1.

When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab they found the people of Bethlehem had been provided for.

If someone objects that he has known instances where these things have actually happened, two answers come to mind.

First, David may have meant that he never knew of the righteous man to be finally forsaken.

The second is this, he may have been stating a general principle, without barring the possibility of isolated exceptions.

Scripture often makes sweeping statements describing the normal outworking of spiritual laws.

Exceptions do not disprove the overall principles.

He is always generous always lending and his children are a blessing.

Again I struggled to determine if David is writing about the one walking rightly or the LORD.

Again I say both are true.

The one who steps are established by the LORD are always generous, open handed and their children are seen as a blessing, but also so is the LORD to the one whose steps He establishes He is giving and His children are a blessing to Him.

Those who walk rightly are called to be generous because God Himself is generous.

Generosity is one way to shine within a dark world.

A world that says look out for number one 1st.

The one who is walking rightly and steps are ordered by the LORD are not only marked by generosity but also by good works.

Not some good works here and there but a lifestyle of good works.

David writes that in order to do the good works one must turn away from evil.

Get off the path of evil, turn aside or leave the path of evil, and instead do what is good.

Do that which is moral and admirable.

Interesting to note here - In order to leave the path of evil completely one MUST DO what is good.

You cannot leave the path of evil while refusing to do what is good.

While it seems here (and many point to this passage to show that the Bible teaches salvation by works we know from other parts of the Bible that this is not the case.

No one can be saved by their own works or each others works, only by the work of Jesus on the cross is anyone saved.

Saved by faith not works - but it is also written that faith without works is dead.

The LORD loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones - they are kept safe forever.

The believer is secure in the LORD not because of good works but because they are His children and they are a blessing to Him.

F. W. Dixon wrote: If you lack assurance there is only one way to gain it or regain it—take the Word of God.

Take it and believe it.

God says you are His; that you are safe and absolutely secure, and that He will never let you go; take a large dose of that.

Sure Steps Built In Instruction

David brings us full circle in that right steps established by the LORD are steps built upon instruction - His instruction!

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

His mouth is full of wisdom.

What he speaks is sound, just and not crooked or deceitful.

The righteous person walking in the steps ordered by the LORD speaks wisdom for their steps are buitl in the instruction of the LORD and that instruction being in the heart.

The law of God is in his heart.

His steps are sure and they do not falter because the word of the LORD upholds him.

His steps are sure -footed and they do not falter - they do not slip, waiver, pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness).

David is saying the steps of the righteous are sure because they are formed in the instruction of the LORD.

The best thing — the law of God

In the best place — in his heart

producing the best results — his steps do not slip

Spurgeon

Conclusion

In the face of dark days and evil seemingly triumphing around us it is possible to continue walking rightly.

We continue walking rightly when we recognize that God establishes every step we take —the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the positive and the negative.

This includes our going out and our coming in, our lying down and our getting up, our waking and our sleeping, our buying and our selling, our talking and our listening, and our walking and our driving as well as our activity, inactivity and our waiting and even forced rest.

Because he is God, there are no accidents with him.

Nothing ever happens to the child of God by luck, chance or fate.

No circumstance—whether good or bad—can come to us apart from God’s determined purpose for us.

We can continue walking rightly when we remember that God promises that when we fall, we will not be overwhelmed because He supports us with His own hands.

When the path is narrow and winding, it’s hard not to fall sometimes.

Life is like that.

We all stumble in many ways.

God will not allow us to be overwhelmed or overtaken.

Nothing can happen that will utterly destroy us or sever our relationship with him.

The reason is clear.

He upholds us with his mighty hand.

Think of a father walking along with his young son by his side.

There are two ways father and son might hold hands.

The young boy may reach up with his tiny hand to grasp his father’s huge hand.

That works until the child stumbles and he is forced to let go of his father’s hand.

But if the father places his huge hand around his son’s tiny hand, the boy is safe no matter what happens because his father’s hand holds him up.