READ: Ps. 37:1–40: … Trust in the LORD, and do good … do not fret because of him who prospers in his way … those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth … a little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked … the LORD knows the days of the upright … depart from evil, do good … the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD …
Psalm 37 is a didactic poem of David, a life lesson for others. There are many repetitions, precisely to let the message penetrate well. As in the previous Psalms, David distinguishes two kinds of people: the wicked and believers.
The wicked not only commit sin, but want nothing else, and reject God. They are created to glorify God, but refuse to do so. With them, only the old man is active, the sinful nature that man has had since the fall. They want to satisfy themselves on earth at the expense of God and often also of their neighbor.
But David says on behalf of the LORD: do not envy those who do wrong, for they perish, like grass that quickly withers and fades in the sun (cf. Jas. 1:11). If they do not repent, they do not have the glorious prospect of a new heaven and a new earth, but of eternal death.
Let believers direct their attention to the LORD and His will, do good, and hope for the final goal. The LORD guarantees all true believers His blessed nearness and a glorious future where righteousness dwells.
In an ungodly society, this requires that you trust the LORD and direct your decisions and actions to Him. He will give you the desires of your heart (v.4). This concerns not fleshly but spiritual desires.
You direct yourself to the LORD, do you not? Then He gives you everything you need for that: all His blessings, His peace, His nearness. Think of the blessing you receive on Sunday at the end of the worship service.
Further on in the Psalm, various instructions are given as to how you as a believer shall live with the LORD: be patient in adversity, continue to trust the LORD, be content with what He gives you, remain honest and upright, keep God’s law, and continue to expect everything from the LORD.
Does your life now correspond with your future later (vv.32,33)?
Singing: Ps. 37:1,2,16