Befriending Faithfulness

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” -Psalm 37:3

In the second part of the verse, the The Hebrew is somewhat ambiguous. A footnote in the ESV reads, “Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture.”

The NIV actually translates it this way, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” -Psalm 37:3

This is a general principle for living but we must also be aware that there are exceptions (Job 1:8, 2:3). Many a person has found themselves angry or frustrated with God—even worse, apostate—for what appears to be injustice on God’s part (i.e., a promise of peace and prosperity to those who live uprightly and then suffering is the realized outcome of a faithful life). Job, for example, evidently struggled with this seeming injustice when he writes,

“Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry. They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol.” -Job 21:7–13

The best hope of finding a life of safe pasture is to trust the Lord and do good. To befriend faithfulness is to befriend faithfulness (find safe pasture). Trusting the Lord means we believe he is good and has our best interests in mind even when the circumstances don’t make sense to us. Doing good is to emulate God and cultivate for others all that we desire for ourselves. This is the way we befriend faithfulness.

““So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 7:12