the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Psalms 38:1-22
The lesson of Psalms 37:1-40 seems to have been understood. The faithful man no longer cries out for the overthrow of the wicked, which has been expressly promised to him. Instead of fretting about those who do wrong, he is profoundly conscious of his own sin (vv. 3-5). At the same time he realises that he is in the hand of God who reproves and chastises him. And it is in Him that he hopes (v. 15). It is not his place to reply personally to those who persecute him, still less to avenge himself. "Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God" (v. 15 — margin). Here we recognise the teaching of the New Testament, "Recompense to no man evil for evil . . .; dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves . . .; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:17; Romans 12:19). There is only one answer we are entitled to give to the wrong done to us, . . . Good; that is the opposite answer of these "enemies" (v. 19), of these "adversaries" who "render evil for good" (v. 20). And their astonishing motive is unveiled for us, "because I follow the thing that is good". Jealousy and a perverse wish to suppress that which by contrast underlines their own wickedness, such are the frightful sentiments that led men to put to death the Holy One and the Just (John 10:32; read also 1 John 3:12).
