July-18-0471-A heart saturated by His Word
471_A heart saturated by His Word Psalm 37: 27-40 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28 For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. 36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the 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. In the mid-20th century, Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, was on a camping trip along with some friends. The boat hit choppy waters, and Dawson and a young girl fell off the deck of the boat. Dawson tried his best to hold the young girl above the water, since she didn’t know how to swim. She survived, but Trotman never resurfaced. Billy Graham—his close friend—summed up his life in a single sentence: “Daws died the same way he lived—holding others up.” His life was rooted in God’s Word. He not only memorized vast portions of Scripture but lived them out daily. One of his favorite challenges was: “Don’t just mark your Bible—let your Bible mark you.” This is exactly what Psalm 37: 27–40 is about: a life not merely informed by Scripture, but transformed by the righteousness of faith that comes from being saturated with His Word. David draws from a lifetime of walking with God to pass on the wisdom born of experience: “Turn away from evil and do good” (v. 27). The walk of faith begins with repentance, with turning God’s way. David’s faith in God compelled him to actively choose what is good and to reject evil. The righteous life is not passive; it leans into God’s ways, despite the tide of culture or circumstance. Throughout this psalm, a repeated theme emerges: the righteous will inherit the land. This inheritance is more than real estate; it represents the solid security of God’s blessing, His peace, His presence, and His promises. The righteous are not preoccupied