Faith not Fret – Psalm 37

“A Psalm of David. 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.” Psalm 37:1-2

Mowed like grass! Withered plants! The Lord promises us that evil workers will expire. Why fret over them? Why envy them? The Lord says, “Don’t!”

Do evil deeds yield peace of mind? No, eventually they yield regret and sorrow.

In 1 Corinthians 13:2-3, God’s Word says. “If I do not have love, I am nothing. If I do not have love, I gain nothing.” In Acts 20:35, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

God gave us the road map to happiness when He said to love Him with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

“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.” Psalm 37:3-4

With love for God and neighbor as your focus, dwell in the land (be actively involved) and do good. Feed Your soul continuously on God’s faithfulness which resounds beautifully from the words in the Bible. Delight in the Lord! You can do this by worshiping Him with songs and by saying to Him throughout the day, “I love You Lord!” The Lord fills delighters in Him with love.

What is the desire of a good man? It is to know, love, and please God and to be pleased in Him.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your care on Him because He cares for you.” Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” In Job 19:25, amidst adversities, Job boldly declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” And in due season, God doubly blessed him.

“He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Psalm 37:6

Our righteousness and justice appeared when Jesus Christ showed up. He is the Just One and the Justifier of all who believe that His blood cleanses us from sin. The righteousness of Christ is bright. No one ever shined as bright as He did when He took on the sins of the world, never complained about it, and though treated most shamefully and abusively, He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” “Thank You Jesus!”

“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. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more. Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37:7-11

In John 21:18, Jesus told Peter, “Most assuredly, when you were younger, you clothed yourself and walked where you wished, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will clothe you and carry you where you do not wish.”

In John 21:20-21, Peter noticed the disciple whom Jesus loved following them and asked Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

The disciple that Peter pointed out to Jesus enjoyed a great relationship with Jesus. That disciple was not bringing evil schemes to pass. Peter, however, was fretting over the life that Jesus described for him. Would the other disciple receive a greater calling than him? Jesus diverted Peter’s thoughts away from comparative thoughts about his peers. He told Peter, “Follow Me.”

Since the Lord does not want us to compete with our fellow followers of Him, why would we consider even for a moment, to want to be like the wicked? The Lord says to cease from anger. Forsake wrath! Don’t fret! Fretting is hazardous to your health. Once, we get to heaven, we will never see the wicked again. They will be gone from us forever.

In regards to the greatest of outcomes that one can hope for, the Lord says that the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

In Luke 22:35, Jesus asked His disciples, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” They replied, “Nothing.” God met their needs.

“The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.” Psalm 37:12

The wicked are like the thorns Jesus spoke of Matthew 13:7. They spring up and make every effort to choke out the good seed. Their aim is to destroy their righteousness.

“The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” Psalm 37:13

In Psalm 2:1-5, the Lord laughs at nations who rage against Him. He laughs at kings who make worthless plots against Him. He sees that they do not want a relationship with Him. “He shall speak to them in His wrath. He shall distress them.”

“The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct.” Psalm 37:14

Though the upright in this passage are already poor and needy, that is not enough, the wicked want to seek them out and shoot arrows at them. They want to cut them down with a sword.

In Ephesians 6:16, the Lord says, “Take the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

In Mark 6:14-29, Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded with a sword. In Acts 12:2, Herod Agrippa I, the nephew of Herod Antipas, slew Apostle James with the sword. In Revelation 20:4, the Lord revealed to the Apostle John “the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God.”

Tertullian, a second-century Christian apologist wrote in his work Apologeticus, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” When evildoers put a godly person to death, it inspires those who previously did nothing and said nothing, to pray, stand up and witness for Christ. [1]

“Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.” Psalm 37:15

What happened to the kings who beheaded John the Baptist and the Apostle James? According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod Antipas was later accused of conspiracy by his nephew, Herod Agrippa I, and was exiled by the Roman Emperor Caligula. According to Acts 12:23, the angel of the Lord smote Herod Agrippa I dead, and worms ate him. In Mark 9:44, Jesus described hell as a place where worms die not and the fire is not quenched. [2]

“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. The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.” Psalm 37:16-22

How is the righteous man’s little better than the riches of many wicked men’s wealth? Quite often what the righteous man receives comes to him in answer to prayer. As Paul wrote, “We live by faith not by sight.” For example, in 1985, when I left the USA to preach the Gospel in Hong Kong, I had $200 in my pocket. I could not afford to bring my wife and baby with me. Within two months, the Lord provided sufficient funds for them to join me. He also upgraded me from an uncomfortable apartment to a better one before they arrived. My “crazy idea” which mockers told me would fail, lasted until June 1997. I remember feeling so loved of God each time that He graciously provided for us. Glory to God!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

The Lord by His grace and Holy Spirit directs the thoughts, affections, and paths of His people. He delights in leading a good man from glory to glory. God orders the steps of a good man not only in general, but also by His written Word. [3]

God has given us precious promises in His Word. In Isaiah 42:16, He says, “I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” In Isaiah 48:17, He says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.”

“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.” Psalm 37:25-27

When we served the Lord overseas, we often quoted the above verse to stave off the fear of deprivation. We did not tell people our needs unless they asked us, and even then, we only did so if we had peace that we were not compromising our faith in God’s faithfulness. Sometimes our provisions were very basic, and other times, our supplies overflowed and we were able to provide generous contributions to orphans in China.

The Lord has blessed our descendants. All four of our children are happily married with children. While on the mission field, the Lord taught them to trust in His promises, to praise Him, to use money wisely, to work hard, and to associate with people who love the Lord.

“Depart from evil and do good, and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice and does not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever.” Psalm 37:28-29

When you come to a fork in the road, and you have to choose between the Lord’s way or the world’s way, bolt down the path of the Lord. Think of your choices as an expression of love for God. Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The Law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.” Psalm 37:30-33

Everywhere Jesus went, He dispensed words of wisdom and justice. He fulfilled God’s Law both by His words and deeds. The Pharisees tried to provoke Him to say something wrong but failed. He never slipped. Although the Pharisees condemned Him, three days later, the Heavenly Father resurrected Him. Fake religious leaders never have the last word with God.

Nowadays, Jesus continues to dispense wisdom and justice through us who are taught by Him.

“Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more. Indeed, I sought him, but he could not be found.” Psalm 37:34-36

The Lord exalts those who wait on Him and keep His way. Waiting and keeping requires patience and endurance, but so does working to acquire a land with your own ingenuity and effort.

The wicked in this passage are like unto the hare in Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The hare ridicules the slow-moving tortoise because they are racing one another and he knows that he has the advantage. Confident of winning, the hare takes a nap midway through the race. When he awakes, he finds that his slow but steady competitor has won the race.

In a similar way, when the wicked possesses great power and has spread out in every direction, he assumes that he is invincible. However, he lacked divine wisdom. Jesus compared those who do not build their life on the Word of God to ill-advised builders whose buildings don’t last long.

Fools believe they can ignore God and prosper, yet in a moment, their belief is realized as a lie.

“Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them. He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” Psalm 37:37-40

Worries about the wicked trouble the mind. Focus on the Lord gives peace of mind.

Blameless and upright people walk with God. He is their peace and strength. He is their helper and deliverer. He is their supplier and Savior. He is the light that shines in and through them.


[1] GotQuestions.org
[2] Ibid
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary