Psalm 37:1,2 - Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they soon shall be cut down like the grass, and wither as the herb.
The word fret refers to the point just after a fire has been ignited when the flame is the hottest. Think about what happens when you light a match. As the head of the match is ran across the striker it ignites into a burst of flames. After the sulfur burns off and the blaze settles down the matchstick is left with a much smaller fire. That initial point after ignition is what the writer if Psalm 37 is warning us about. He says not to fret ourselves, or burst into a flame of emotion, because of evildoers.
That is awful hard to do because most of us have seen how unfair life can be sometimes. It always seems like those who prosper the most are the ones who also hate God the most. Why does God allow the wicked to prosper while the righteous have to suffer through life? I wish that I could answer that question. I would like to expound some great theological truth on the matter and clear it up for everyone, but I do not have that kind of knowledge. I don’t feel too bad though because I am in good company. Solomon, who was the wisest man to ever live, wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 8:16,17 - When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
What is he saying? He is saying that God is the one in charge of the business that is done upon the earth and it is not up to us to figure out why he does what he does. Our responsibility is to accept God for who he is and trust that he knows what he is doing. But how can we have any hope if the wicked always seem prosper while the righteous always seem to suffer? Look at Psalm 37:2 - For they soon shall be cut down like the grass, and wither as the herb.
Remember that God’s word is the final authority. If God says that one day the wicked will be cut down like the grass, then rest assured that it will happen. God will deal with them in a way that we could never imagine and he will deal with them in a way that is both righteous and holy.
Romans 12:19b - Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
What we need to draw from this passage of scripture is that it is a waste of time for us to wring our hands and worry over the success of those who continually speak against God. One day they will meet with him face to face and have to answer for their actions. God will repay them for their evil deeds.
We need to stop fretting over the prosperity of the wicked and look forward to what the Lord has in store for those who are called his children. The remainder of Psalm 37 will show us how to overcome being envious of the wicked by looking forward to the promises of God.
I. GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS CHILDREN
God has some promises for those who call themselves his children, but something is required of us before we can claim them.
A. Trust in the Lord
Psalm 37:3 - Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
1. Our action
We have a responsibility to trust in the Lord. Trust is the characteristic Old Testament word for the New Testament words faith and believe. It occurs 152 times in the Old Testament and is the rendering of the Hebrew words signifying to take refuge, to lean on, and to stay upon. The basic idea of the word is associated with firmness or solidity.
To trust in the Lord means to put faith, or to believe in him recognizing that he will always be there. He will be there as a place to hide in times of trouble. He will be there to lean on when our bodies and spirits get weak. He will be there to stand on when the ground underneath us begins to give way. He is solid and firm, like a rock, and he will never be moved.
The all-important step to trusting in the Lord is having faith, or believing in him. It would be awful hard to trust in God if you didn’t believe in him in the first place. There has to be a personal relationship between God and us. That relationship can only take place through the saving knowledge of the gospel message. What is that gospel message?
1 Corinthians 15:3,4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
The gospel message is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again on the third day. By accepting that message and turning, or repenting, from our sinful ways we obtain a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe.
2. God’s promise
By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we have placed our trust in God. By placing our trust in God we gain access to the promise that is given at the end of Psalm 37:3 - so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Let’s tie this verse together with a well quoted verse of the Bible and see what it is saying to us.
Proverbs 3:5,6 - Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
If we trust in the Lord, if we take refuge in him, if we lean on him, if we stand upon his solid attributes, then God himself will give us the strength and guidance we need to go forward in this wicked world. Not only will he direct our paths, but he will also make sure that we get fed along the way.
Isn’t God good? Have you placed your trust in him? Have you turned from your sinful ways and trusted in the fact that Jesus Christ died for your sins? Are you confident that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day? If you aren’t sure then please consider that one day you will be among the poor souls that God is going to take vengeance upon. May the words from the book of Hebrews echo in your head as this day progresses.
Hebrews 10:31 - It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
B. Delight in the Lord
Psalm 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
1. Our action
What does it mean to delight in the Lord? It means to take pleasure in, or enjoy him. Doesn’t that sound a little strange, I mean, to enjoy God? Why should it sound strange? We are surrounded with his magnificent creation. I’m sure that everyone, at some time or another, has walked outside on a beautiful, spring day and recognized the overwhelming splendor of the earth. It is too wonderful not to recognize. God created this earth and everything in it and he allows us live here and enjoy it.
We should contemplate everything that he has given us and seek to enjoy all of it. I told someone the following scripture this past week and it fits my point here nicely:
Job 37:14 - Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Now, personalize this verse by taking out Job’s name and putting in your own:
Hearken unto this, O ________: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Have you taken the time out of your busy schedule lately to think about all that God has blessed you with? When was the last time that you actually considered the wondrous works of God? I believe that if we would slow down and think about God a little more then everything that has been keeping us so busy just wouldnít seem to be that important any more.
We should delight in the Lord’s creation and in his blessings upon us.
But there is one thing that we should delight in even more. Most of all we should delight in the salvation that has been afforded us by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If it weren’t for his sacrifice on the cross then we would be in a miserable state, with no hope of an eternal life in heaven.
Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
We should delight in the wonderful sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
2. God’s promise
If we delight in God he gives us an interesting promise, "and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Does that mean that God will give us anything that we want if we will only delight in him? I do believe that God will give us the desires of our heart, but I also believe that before he does so he will change what those desires are.
When we think about God, meditate on his blessings toward us, and contemplate the awesome sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us then our desires begin to change. Once we look at everything through the backdrop of the cross we can start to see things how God sees them. By delighting in God and drawing close to him through scripture study and prayer our thoughts knit together and we can see what is really important to him. In this way, his desires start to become our desires. He gives us the desires of our heart when they line up with his desire for our life.
Philippians 2:13 - For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
God will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in him.
C. Commit to the Lord
Psalm 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
1. Our action
By examining the word commit we find a couple of interesting meanings.
a. One definition given in the Hebrew lexicon is to be rolled in blood, or to be dyed red. Psalm 37 isn’t considered a messianic psalm, but a beautiful prophecy is portrayed here nonetheless. In order for us to commit to the Lord we must be rolled in the blood of Jesus Christ.
That is exactly what the old hymn by William Cowper says:
There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.
When we roll, or plunge, in the blood of Jesus Christ our sins are washed away and all of our guilty stains are lost forever.
b. A similar definition of commit is to be rolled together or to roll oneself upon. The picture is rolling oneself upon the Lord or trusting him. It is kind of like wrapping up in a warm, cozy blanket on a cold, winter night.
So, committing to the Lord means to roll in the blood of the Lamb, to wrap up in God and place all trust in him.
2. God’s promise
If we commit to God he promises to "bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." It is no accident that the words light and noonday are used here. The point is being made that one day all of our righteousness and God’s judgment upon us will be brought out in the open, underneath the brightness of the noonday sun, for all to see.
If we have committed to him, if we have been rolled in the blood of the Lamb, then we have been made righteous by that action and we don’t have to rely on our own righteousness. We take on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and become clothed in his righteousness. That is a good thing because God sees all of our righteousness as filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
God promises to wrap us up, or clothe us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ if we commit to him.
D. Rest in the Lord
Psalm 37:7-9 - Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.
1. Our action
We are told to do a number of things in this passage of scripture.
a. Rest in the Lord
Resting in the Lord is accomplished through trusting, delighting, and committing to him. If we have first accomplished these three things then resting in him is very easy.
When we trust in the Lord we find rest because God has become our place of refuge in times of trouble. We can rest because we have found a shoulder to lean on when our bodies and spirits become weak. We can rest because God is there to stand on when the ground underneath us begins to give way.
When we delight in the Lord we find rest because the Lord blesses us with the desires of our hearts. We can rest because our thoughts have become more in line with his thoughts. We can rest because looking through his eyes everything becomes much clearer.
When we commit to the Lord we find rest because we know that we no longer have to worry about the sin that is in or lives. We can rest easy knowing that we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
b. Wait patiently for him
We are told a number of times in the Bible to wait upon the Lord. We should never try to hurry him or try to force our will onto him. We should always be patient, trusting him to accomplish everything in his own time.
c. Fret not because the wicked prosper
For the second time we are told not to fret over the ways of the wicked. God will judge then in due time.
d. Cease from anger and forsake wrath
God does not want us to go around half-cocked waiting to explode on the first person that looks at us wrong. If we are resting in him then we should be able to control our temper. Someone once told me, "You don’t lose your temper, you find it." What a true statement! Turn your back on anger.
e. Do not wish to do evil
There is no explanation needed here. God does not want his children to partake in evil practices. Stay pure before the Lord.
2. God’s promise
"But those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth".
All of the things that we are told to do in this passage of scripture are condensed to the phrase
"those who wait upon the Lord". The meaning of that particular phrase is one of binding, or gathering together. It also means to expect, wait, or look for patiently.
We are to gather together, waiting and looking for the Lord patiently. If we do this then the Lord says that we will inherit, or take possession of the earth.
Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
At a time determined by the Lord there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Those who have waited patiently upon the Lord will be there to partake in the bounty of Godís riches.
God has promised that those who rest and wait upon him will one day inherit the earth.
CONCLUSION
We need to stop fretting over the prosperity of the wicked and look forward to what the Lord has in store for those who are called his children. We can do this by looking to the promises of God given in Psalm 37:1-9.
1) Trust in the Lord and he will give us the strength to go forward.
2) Delight in the Lord and he will give us the desires of our hearts.
3) Commit to the Lord and he will clothe us in righteousness.
4) Rest in the Lord and we will inherit the earth.
