Psalm 37 - Don't Fret

Psalm 37:1-9

1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

What often gets quoted from Psalm 37 is verse 4.

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psa 37:4)

This is our inclination because we want things. If delighting in God will get us that, then we gain hope that our desires will be fulfilled. The problem with quoting this verse out of context is that it becomes a faith validating means to chase after the things we covet, expecting God to give it to us because we say we believe. The heart that truly delights in the Lord will find that coveting what others have is a useless activity and a waste of spiritual energy. To delight in the Lord is enough. In Him we have everything we need.

There are forty verses in Psalm 37 intended to encourage the people of God who are upset by the wicked ways of those among whom they live. The psalm compares the path of those faithful to God and those who are not. It's much like Psalm 1 which speaks of the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.

Reading the psalm in its entirety offers many reasons why fretting, over those who do not follow the path of life God has revealed as holy, is not in your best interest. The wicked thrive for only a while, but the righteous will inherit the land. The land is the Promised Land, the land promised to Abraham, the father of monotheism. Jesus would later tell the church that the meek will inherit the earth. (Mat 5:5)

Here's another reason.

Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous. (Psalm 37: 16-17)

The psalm continues with a litany of examples of where the path of the wicked leads and where the path of the righteous leads. The violence of the wicked will turn upon them and consume them. The wealth of the wicked is short-lived. The faithful are under the care of God and have enough even during times of famine, but the wicked are on their own, fending for themselves when the torrent blasts.

I really like this thought shared by the psalmist.

I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread. (Psa 37:25)

Take it from the old and wise. The path God has revealed as right and holy leads to life and health, protection and provision. All other paths do not lead to God's blessings. So rather than get worked up over the temporary triumphs of the unfaithful, keep your heart set on things above, things eternal. Stop fretting and fearing the worst. You are God's own and the Lord looks out for His children who call upon Him.

Be still before the Lord