INTRODUCTION
• VIDEO CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Over the past couple of weeks, we have been examining the topic of being thankful.
• God created us to be thankful, and being thankful makes us appreciate the life and blessings that God has given to us.
• One of the things that can get in the way of possessing a thankful attitude is when we look around and see others, particularly when we see the wicked prosper.
• This has been an age-old problem.
• In the clip from It’s a Wonderful Life, George realizes that his dreams of living a different life than his own is nothing like he imagined.
• He prays to God that he gets his life back. When he realizes everything is back to normal, he runs through Bedford Falls thanking God and yelling jubilantly, “Merry Christmas!”
• He finds himself grateful even for the inconveniences and difficulties of life because, after all, he has the gift of life!
• George was upset and envious over how the evil Mr. Potter had prospered. He was upset that so many of his friends were living what looked like a better life than George lived.
• When we are racked with envy or when we take what we have for granted, it will keep our focus on what we don’t have rather than the life we should be thankful for.
• Today we will spend our time on Psalm 37:1-8. This Psalm is attributed to David.
• Wisdom literature, by its very nature, is designed for instruction and guidance. The present psalm was written by David when he was well advanced in years (v. 25).
• Apparently, David is concerned that those less experienced in their walk with God may be tempted, in times of adversity, to turn away.
• His aim is to admonish and to encourage them to steadfastness, especially when they are tempted to envy evildoers who enjoy great prosperity. (College Press Commentary, Psalms)
• Envy and jealousy are tools that Satan uses to keep us off focus, to keep us from enjoying the blessings we have in Christ.
• It is not David’s intent to give a lesson in theology but to present a challenge to live the life of trust in God, with the firm conviction that such a life will bring untold blessings from God, whereas a life of evil will result in ruin.
• David does not even go into the theological questions of, “Why do the wicked prosper?” “Why do the righteous suffer?”
• As to the prosperity of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous, David would answer: “Do not let what happens to others interfere with your own faithfulness to God nor to your commitment to what is right.”
• Let’s begin our journey by examining verses 1-2.
• SLIDE #2
• Psalm 37:1–2 (CSB) — 1 Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. 2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Trusting God requires the correct perspective.
• This Psalm opens with a challenge for the godly. We are not to take what happens with others from the wrong perspective.
• When we are looking at life from the wrong perspective, it causes us to focus on what other people have, or how others may be more prosperous than I am.
• It even gets worse when we someone we consider wicked prospering more that we are.
• In verse one, David uses the phrase, DO NOT BE AGITATED, this phrase is also used in verses 7 and 8.
• The Hebrew word means to burn.
• The verb is in the Hebrew reflexive stem, which could be translated, 'Don't work yourself into a slow burn' when you see evil men prospering.
• Don’t let it get under your skin; it will only lead you into wrong (37:8).
• In the context, we are to be envious of those who are evildoers who are prosperous.
• David tells us that those who are evil and appear to be prosperous, will one day, meet their demise.
• God is still God, and He knows what is happening.
• When we spend our time being envious of the wicked, it takes our focus off what God has blessed us with.
• As an encouragement to his readers/listeners, David offers a striking image taken from the local agricultural experience of shepherds roaming the countryside in search of grass for their animals.
• With the onset of the early spring rains, the arid hills spring quickly into a lush green covering of grass.
• Almost as quickly; however, the heat of late spring and summer, this grass turns crispy brown.
• The wicked ought not to cause anyone undue concern because their prosperity is just as tenuous as the spring grass that is “here today, gone tomorrow.” Wilson, G. H. (2002). Psalms (Vol. 1, p. 604). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
• Such envy does nothing to enhance one’s life, it just drags us down, so to waste time placing our focus on this is fruitless.
• The enemy wants you to do this so you will turn your back on God.
• It can be challenging to stay determined and find things to be grateful for when the world around us is filled with individuals who seem to have so much success so easily, especially considering that some of their lifestyles go against God's commands and actively engage in rebellion.
• Their finances are great, their experiences seem enjoyable, and they don’t seem to have a care in this world. In those moments of frustration, it is better to allow the Lord to do his job—judge righteously.
• David offers us a far better alternative.
• SLIDE #4
• Psalm 37:3–6 (CSB) — 3 Trust in the LORD and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act, 6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
• SLIDE #5
II. Trusting God requires a change of focus.
• David suggests that rather than focusing on what is happening with others, that we should instead simply trust in the Lord to what is right and good!
• A commitment to the God of the universe brings about everything that we could possibly need; therefore, we need only to invest in our own lives and not desire someone else’s life.
• The wicked may prosper in this world, but we are not of the world, nor can we trust the world to accept us (John 15:18–25).
• When we trust God, we will not resort to devious, deceitful, wicked means to achieve our aims; we will not have to embrace evil in our search for the joy of life.
• When we trust God, we discover that his way is the way to complete fulfillment, the way of the fullness of joy.
• One reason we get irritated when we see evil men getting away with their schemes is that we are assuming that we know how to run the world better than God does.
• So, one aspect of submission to God is to put off such irritation, giving God the sovereign right to deal with evildoers in His time and way” (Steven J. Cole, “Psalm 37: What to Do When Bad Guys Win,” Bible.org, 1993, https://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-37-what-do-when-bad-guys-win).
• When we trust that God will be God, it will free us from the burden of trying to do the job ourselves!
• Verse 4 tells us, Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
• To take delight in the Lord denotes, one who seeks and finds Him as the source of happiness and joy, versus trying to take delight in the possessions of the world.
• When we place our focus on God, we start to think more like Him, and we seek to be more like Him in our character.
• In turn, what we seek in life is more in line with God’s will, so what we ask for will be in line with the will of God.
• The third area of focus is found in verse 5, Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act
• The advice Commit your way to the Lord translates the verb “to roll”; it means to turn over to the Lord your whole life—all your desires, problems, anxieties.
• Let the Lord determine what your life is to be; trust in him.
• He will act translates "He will do (it)"—that is, He will take action, He will do whatever is necessary, "He will help you."
• There is a blessing in being obedient to the Lord!
• Verse 6 says that God will make your righteous shine, that it will be evident that God is working in your life!
• Our job is to live righteously, knowing that our eternal reward is better than anything we can experience on earth. Gratitude to God for being the answer we need should be a lifestyle.
• Let’s look at verse 7.
• SLIDE #6
• Psalm 37:7 (CSB) — 7 Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.
• SLIDE #7
III. Trusting God requires patience.
• This one is difficult for MANY of us!
• We are told in verse 7; Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.
• Be still before the Lord means to be quiet in the Lord’s presence and not be constantly and impatiently complaining about the success of the wicked. The command Be still before the Lord in the sense of “Be patient” is often expressed idiomatically; for example, “Don’t cause noise in the heart,” “Walk softly,” or “Sit coolly.”
• This verse is an encouragement to be patient, to wait on the Lord to do His thing!
• 1 Peter 5:7 encourages us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares!
• We want what we want, and we want it now!
• We have to be patient and let the Lord take care of business.
• Remember, He is God, we are not!
• SLIDE #8
• Psalm 37:8 (CSB) — 8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
• SLIDE #9
IV. Trusting God requires the proper disposition.
• Here is that phrase again, DO NOT BE AGITATED!
• What we are told here is not to nourish anger and wrath against evildoers.
• Why would we be angry? Listen to the worlds of Augustine, who lived from 354-430 AD.
• Did you believe in Christ? Yes? Then why did you believe? What did he promise you?
• If Christ promised you happiness in this world, then go ahead and complain against him; complain when you see the unbeliever happy.
• But what sort of happiness did he, in fact, promise you?
• Nothing else but happiness when the dead rise again. And what did he promise you in this life?
• Only what he went through himself; yes, I tell you, he promised you a share in his own experience.
• Do you disdain it, you, a servant and a disciple? Do you disdain what your master and teacher went through?
• Do you not recall his own words: “A servant is not greater than his master, nor a disciple above his teacher”? (John 13:16). Blaising, C. A., & Hardin, C. S. (Eds.). (2008). Psalms 1–50 (p. 291). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
CONCLUSION
• Life becomes much better when we allow God to be God.
• We become more thankful when we focus on God and not on what is happening with other people.
• One thing we need to know, regardless of what is happening with other people; when we trust in God and commit our ways to him, he shows himself trustworthy.
• We need to trust and live for Jesus. We need to not allow what happens with others cause us to lose our joy!
• Remember verse 4, Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
