Note: Four times during our Matthew study, we will pause to study a psalm that has a connection to Matthew. Today we are looking at Psalm 37 .

Today's Reading: Psalm 37

Psalm 37:11 (ESV) "But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace."

My stomach was in knots on the long walk home. I was one of the shortest girls in my elementary school, and bullies abounded and hounded my existence. No matter how much I tried to avoid them, they would find me. It did not make sense to me why I was their target. I never picked on them. But looking back, I see my stature made me easy prey. It seemed like the powerful, popular kids would never get caught and my suffering would never end.

David, too, knew what it was like to suffer at the hands of others who treated him unfairly. In Psalm 37, David wrestled with the problem of evil we encounter in this world. Yet he was also assured the wicked would not get away with their deeds. Whether on the playground or in the middle of deep, life-changing harm inflicted within our families, communities and cultures, the persecuted are seen by God, and the meek will win in the end.

Psalm 37 is an acrostic psalm, based on the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order, essentially covering a topic "from A to Z" (or in Hebrew, Aleph to Taw). Hebrew acrostic poems demonstrated a structural sense of completely covering a topic. In this case, David completely encouraged the persecuted with many ways they could focus on God and His promises rather than on the wicked. (Psalm 37:18)

This flies in the face of how we might want to handle being mistreated. We tend to want to take matters of justice into our own hands. But the meek patiently wait for God, who will bring about justice. (Psalm 37:6-7) The meek do not give in to anger. They don't fret. (Psalm 37:8; Psalm 37:1) But they do choose to trust in the Lord, do good and be faithful. (Psalm 37:3)

Meekness is not weakness. Those who admit their need for God find their greatest strength and walk in peace: "But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace" (Psalm 37:11). And just as God gave this assurance in the Old Testament, later Jesus echoed Psalm 37 in His Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). The word for "meek" in both verses means humble, unpretentious or sincere.

In Matthew 5:2-12, often called the Beatitudes, Jesus gives a picture of what it means to be meek. And in Jesus Himself, we see meekness personified. Jesus did not retaliate. (1 Peter 2:23) He chose not to be offended but to bear our offenses. (Romans 4:25) Jesus is God and yet came as a servant to save humankind. (Philippians 2:6-8)

The position of the meek is not a coveted position in a world that strives for power and praise, but the inheritance God has for the meek trumps any earthly gain. We don't find peace through earthly power but through meekness as we admit our need for Jesus and receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

Even in my adult life, the bullies of this world still abound. Sometimes I feel forgotten while the wicked prosper … Yet there is a sweet peace in waiting on the Lord, who gives us a permanent inheritance that far surpasses any temporary suffering. (Romans 8:18)

Prayer: Jesus, when I am weak, You are my strength. Help me to be meek when I feel under attack. I don't want to strive and fight like the people of this world do. Hiding in You is the best refuge of all. In Jesus' name, amen.