“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” [1]
It is easy to become distracted from the simple work of trusting God and doing good. Looking at the seeming prosperity of the wicked is one way to become distracted.
“Faith cures fretting.” (Spurgeon)
Replace worry and envy with delight in the Lord. “Expect all thy happiness from Him.” (Clarke)
“Deliberately redirect your emotions as Paul and Silas did in prison, singing as well as praying.” (Kidner)
“The reason many people do not delight in God is that they do not know him very well, and the reason they do not know him very well is that they do not spend time with him.” (Boice)
He who delights in the Lord finds his heart and desires changed, steadily aligning with God’s own good desires for his life. Thus, delight in God is a key to a happy, satisfied life.
If God is our delight, He gives us more of Himself. (Maclaren)
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” [2]
To delight one’s self in the Lord means to commit one’s way to Him means to find peace, protection, and satisfaction in a surrendered focus upon God.
“Our strength is to sit still. The Lord will clear the slandered. If we look to His honor, He will see to ours.” (Spurgeon)
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” [3]
“It shall be as visible to men as the light of the sun, and that at noon-day.” (Poole)
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” [4]
Rest in the Lord speaks of ceasing from words of self-defense. We trust in God to protect us.
“The meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” [5]
“The ‘meek’ are those who choose the way of patient faith instead of self-assertion.” (Kidner)
“The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” [6]
“If God can laugh at the wicked, shouldn’t we be able at least to refrain from being agitated by them?” (Boice)
“Like Haman they shall be hanged upon the gallows built by themselves for Mordecai. Hundreds of times has this been the case. Saul, who sought to slay David, fell on his own sword.” (Spurgeon)
“A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.” [7]
A God-trusting, righteous life is the best long-term investment strategy. The reward of the wicked is to have their arms broken. The reward of the righteous is to be upheld by God’s arms.
“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful and lends; and his descendants are blessed.” [8]
Among David’s ancestors were some who left Israel, fearful in a time of famine (Ruth 1). When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab, they found the people of Bethlehem had been provided for.
“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” [9]
The righteous man (or woman) is also noted by his possession of and love for the word of God.
“Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.” [10]
The righteous men and women of this world get little attention. The culture is more interested in the godless and the wicked. Yet David counseled us to notice the blameless and the upright of this world, because the future of that man is peace.
“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.” [11]
[1] Psalm 37:1-4
[2] Psalm 37:5
[3] Psalm 37:6
[4] Psalm 37:7
[5] Psalm 37:11
[6] Psalm 37:12
[7] Psalm 37:16-17
[8] Psalm 37:25-26
[9] Psalm 37:31
[10] Psalm 37:37
[11] Psalm 37:39
* All other comments from The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik.
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