Psalms 37:1-16: a reflection

1Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness. 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb. 3Trust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture. 4Also delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD. Trust also in him, and he will do this: 6he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun. 7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen. 8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn’t there. 11But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. 13The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming. 14The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright on the path. 15Their sword shall enter into their own heart. Their bows shall be broken. 16Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.

This psalm gives clear counsel for the times when the wicked seem to prosper and we are tempted to fret. Don't fret because of evildoers, it begins; and rather than fretting, it directs us elsewhere: Trust in the LORD, and do good. Delight yourself in the LORD. Commit your way to the LORD. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Instead of fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, we are to trust, delight, commit our way, and rest in God, waiting patiently for him. The remedy for fretting is not to stew over the wicked but to commit our way to God and rest in him, trusting him to deal with the wicked in his time.

Notice what the psalm sets against fretting: committing our way to God and resting in him. Fretting over the prosperity of the wicked accomplishes nothing but harm; it leads only to evildoing, the psalm says. Instead, we are to commit our way to the LORD, to trust him, to rest in him and wait patiently for him. The remedy is not to keep stewing over the wicked and their success, but to entrust our way to God and rest, leaving the wicked to him, who sees that their day is coming. To commit our way to God and rest in him is the antidote to fretting; we trust him to deal with the wicked, and rest rather than stew. The psalm turns us from fretting to trusting and resting.

That is worth taking to heart, for the remedy for fretting over the wicked is to commit our way to God and rest in him. When the wicked seem to prosper and get away with wrong, we can fret, stew, envy, letting it eat at us; but the psalm turns us from fretting to trusting, to committing our way to God and resting in him, waiting patiently. Fretting accomplishes nothing but harm; committing our way to God and resting is the better path. Do not fret over the prosperity of the wicked, letting it eat at you; commit your way to God and rest in him, trusting him to deal with them in his time. Commit your way to God and rest in him rather than fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, as the psalm turns us from fretting to trusting, delighting, and resting in the LORD; for fretting over evildoers accomplishes nothing but harm, and the better path is to entrust our way to God and rest, waiting patiently for him to deal with the wicked in his time.

Lord, this psalm gives clear counsel for the times when the wicked seem to prosper and I am tempted to fret. Don't fret because of evildoers, it begins; and rather than fretting, it directs me elsewhere: trust in the LORD, and do good; delight yourself in the LORD; commit your way to the LORD; rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Instead of fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, I am to trust, delight, commit my way, and rest in you, waiting patiently for you. Show me what the psalm sets against fretting: committing my way to you and resting in you. Fretting over the prosperity of the wicked accomplishes nothing but harm; it leads only to evildoing, the psalm says. Instead, I am to commit my way to you, to trust you, to rest in you and wait patiently. The remedy is not to keep stewing over the wicked and their success, but to entrust my way to you and rest, leaving the wicked to you, who see that their day is coming. To commit my way to you and rest in you is the antidote to fretting. Take that to my heart, for the remedy for fretting over the wicked is to commit my way to you and rest in you. When the wicked seem to prosper and get away with wrong, I can fret, stew, envy, letting it eat at me; but the psalm turns me from fretting to trusting, to committing my way to you and resting in you. Fretting accomplishes nothing but harm. Keep me from fretting over the prosperity of the wicked, letting it eat at me; help me commit my way to you and rest in you, Lord, trusting you to deal with them in your time, as the psalm turns us from fretting to trusting and resting in you.