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 with wealth or earthly comfort because their sights are on what is eternal.

The thread that weaves these truths together is found in verse 31, “The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.” This is the foundation of a stable life—God’s Word guiding the heart.

There’s a profound difference between knowing Scripture in the head and having it written on the heart. When the storms of life hit, only faith in the one who rules the storm can keep us unshaken. And such faith comes by hearing the word of God. Memorization is important, but unless it becomes part of who we are—internalized, meditated upon, and lived—it does not guide our decisions or shape our desires.

God promised, “I will write my law upon their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33) But we must come like Moses did—with blank tablets. The Lord cannot write His law on hearts devoted to the graffiti of this world. We must surrender our will so that he may abide with us, he who is the Word of God and the Spirit of God behind the living word.

Psalm 40, also penned by David, prophetically points to the Messiah: “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (vv. 7–8). Jesus Christ delighted in God’s will. For this reason, he treasured God’s Word in His heart. This is what happens to everyone born of God. And when obedience is a delight, not a duty, we are saturated with His Word.

David also paints a stark contrast between the destinies of the righteous and the wicked. In verse 32, he says: “The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.” We fight against evil in high places, the Evil One with his legions opposing the soul that seeks God’s righteousness through faith. Yet, verse 33 assures us: “The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.” The righteous may face trials, false accusations, even persecution—but the Lord is his defense. He may lose battles, but he will not lose the war.

“I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.” (v. 35). Evil often appears impressive—strong, flourishing, untouchable. But then comes verse 36: “But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.” What a powerful image. The wicked one, who ruled the earth, will be thrown into the lake of fire, to vanish without a trace. The conclusion is clear in verse 38: “Transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.”

In contrast, the righteous have an enduring future. It is not that they are strong, but the Lord has undertaken to save them. David closes this psalm with confidence: “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.” (v. 39). When darkness surrounds, when enemies press in, when strength fails—the Lord Himself becomes their refuge.

He helps them. He delivers them. He saves them. Why? “Because they take refuge in him.” (v. 40). What a beautiful promise! The final victory belongs to the Lord. It is not the strong or the clever who earn his salvation, but those who trust in him.

This psalm offers a portrait of the righteous: they are not perfect, but they are loyal to the living God. They are not free from trouble, but they are never forsaken. Their lives are marked by faith, their mouths by wisdom, and their hearts by His Word. God directs their steps, guards their future, and blesses their legacy.

Knowing this, let us cultivate a heart that daily seeks to know and do the will of God. Let us read his word diligently and consistently, so that we may be transformed by our faith. Let us ask him to sow the Word as we read, for it is able to take root and bear fruit. Let us clear out the clutter as God shows it to us, so that we have more space to love him and to absorb his word.

This doesn’t happen by accident. It comes by daily commitment to loving God.

In practical terms, this may look like setting aside time each morning to think over the Scripture that we read and carrying it with us throughout the day. It means choosing to respond to conflict or fear or temptation not with our natural impulses, but with the truths of God’s Word. It means responding to the word that the Spirit brings to mind in our decisions, our conversations, our moments of weakness.

As Dawson Trotman once said, “The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting God’s Word into our lives.” The Bible is not merely a book to be studied—it is a voice to be heard, a light to be followed, and a fountain to drink from. It shapes our lives.

Today, let us be people whose hearts overflow with His Word, whose steps do not slip, whose lives are lived in quiet confidence because our salvation is of the Lord. Let us not fret over the fleeting prosperity of the wicked or our temporary troubles. Instead, let us keep our hearts filled with His Word, and our lives full of the fruit of faith-filled obedience. Then our lips will pour forth His praise.

For those who delight in the will of God are anchored in eternity, and they inherit the only thing that truly matters: life in the everlasting presence and promises of our God.