May 22, 2023 — Psalm 37 

“Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil. For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalm 37:1-11 

Sometimes it seems like it doesn’t pay to be good — Amen? When evil prospers and the good suffer, it can be tempting to rethink everything we have trusted and hoped for — especially if you’re the one trying to be good. If we are not careful, we can begin to believe it is all for nothing — just not worth it.   

Three times in this Psalm we are commanded not “to fret” (37:1, 7, 8). The Hebrew word means “to burn.” The verb in the Hebrew language can be translated as, “Don’t work yourself into a slow burn”. Don’t let it get under your skin; it will only lead you into wrong (37:8). One reason we get irritated when we see evil people prospering is that we are assuming that we know better. We know how all things should go. We know how to be G-d.

It is G-d’s place to run the world — not ours. Our place in this world is to be obedient — and to persevere. G-d wants us to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly in G-d’s ways (Micah 6:8). There really is no place in our hearts for envy or dejection or for fretting — our hearts should be filled with hope and trust.  

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you bless the poor with the kingdom of heaven. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom rather than to imitate the powerful or envy the rich; so may we serve you now and forever. 

Amen.