Psalm 37:1-2 April 19, 2009

Ps 37:1-2 Of David. "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." NIV

Don’t worry – Pray! We can be sure that until the time comes when the Lord rolls up creation like a blanket, exchanging it for his new earth that the evil men and evil deeds will continue to be a part of our life’s experience. In Psalm 37 David challenges our hearts to keep the works of men in proper perspective. David has experienced betrayal. He knows the pain of injustice and yet he confidently tells the generations that follow, “Don’t worry about it!” If anyone has had a right to worry it is David. Lied about, set up for intentional failure by King Saul, falsely pursued out of jealousy, David could have easily been angry and vengeful. He could have easily embraced a bitter spirit and a fearful compulsion to strike back and be the source of his own vindication but he learned the secret of keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord and keeping his hope firmly planted in the character of God and God’s promises to him.
When we are in the midst of the fires of difficulty and injustice our natural tendencies are to worry and to strive for an answer. But the Word of the Lord comes to us and says, “Be still and know that I am God,” Ps. 46:10. The second temptation that is more common when we observe evil men seemingly succeeding in their ways is to envy their evident prosperity. When we only view things from a short term perspective it is a common reaction to misinterpret the nature of God’s justice and character. David calls us to remember that the justice and vindication of God are eternal. David relates the success of the evil man to the grass that withers and the plant that in due time fades away. The success of the wicked is only for a season and the bottom line is that whether in this life or the life to come God’s judgment will catch up to them. As for us as we wait upon the Lord we must rest knowing that He is faithful and find comfort in the words that David declares later in this psalm, Ps 37:25 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”