Psalms 37:1 - Meaning and Application

The instructions here are very clear. They do not need much explanation, but they do need to be put into practice, and that is where they shine best. David is warning us against resentment when evil people succeed, and against envy of their outward prosperity (Psalm 37:1, 2).

We may well think David first said this to himself. He was preaching to his own heart, likely in his private thoughts at night, to restrain the sinful feelings he found rising in him. Then he wrote it down for others who would face the same temptation. Teaching lands best when it has already been learned in the teacher’s own life.

When we look around, we see the world full of evil-doers and workers of injustice who seem to flourish and get ahead. They often live in comfort and display, and they may have power to harm those around them. That was true in David’s day, and if it is still true now, we should not act surprised, as if something strange were happening.

When we look within, we find that we are tempted to resent this. We may grumble at God, as if he were being unkind to the world or to his church by allowing such people to prosper. We may also be irritated by their success and envy the freedom they take in gaining wealth, perhaps by dishonest means, and in satisfying their desires. We may even be tempted to think they are the only happy people and to join them so we can share in their gains. That is what we are warned against: “Fret not thyself, neither be thou envious.”

Fretfulness and envy punish us on their own. They disturb the mind and slowly weaken the whole person. So this warning is given kindly, for our own good. But there is more.

When we look ahead with faith, we see no reason to envy the prosperity of the wicked. Their ruin is near, and they are quickly ripening for it (Psalm 37:2). They flourish only like grass and green plants, and nobody stays jealous of grass for long. The growth of the godly is like a fruitful tree (Psalm 1:3), but the growth of the wicked is brief, like grass and herbs.

They will soon wither of themselves, because outward prosperity is fading, and so is the life it lasts through. And they will be cut down even sooner by God’s judgments. Their triumph is short, but their weeping and sorrow will last.

So we are counseled to live with trust and satisfaction in God. That will keep us from fretting over the success of evil-doers. If we are doing well for our own souls, we will see little reason to envy those who are doing so badly for theirs. Here are three strong commands, and three precious promises to support them.

First, we must make God our hope while we keep walking in duty, and then we will have a steady life in this world (Psalm 37:3). We are told to trust in the Lord and do good. That means we depend on God and also shape our lives to please him. The heart of religion is a believing trust in God, in his favor, providence, promise, and grace, along with careful obedience in serving him and our generation. We cannot claim to trust God while refusing to do what he says.

Nor can we say we are doing good if we then rely on ourselves, our own righteousness, or our own strength. We must both trust in the Lord and do good. Then the promise follows: “So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” It does not promise luxury, high rank, or a palace. A person’s life does not consist in those things. It promises a home, a place to live in the land, and enough food to sustain us. That is more than we deserve, and it is enough for one who is headed to heaven.

It means a settled life and a safe provision, a quiet home and a sure support. Some read it, “You shall be fed by faith,” and that is a good thought. The righteous live by faith, and it is good to feed on the promises. God himself is a shepherd and feeder to all who trust in him (Psalm 23:1).

Second, we must make God our heart’s delight, and then he will give us what our hearts truly desire (Psalm 37:4). We are not only to depend on God, but also to find our joy in him. We should be glad that God exists, glad that he is the kind of God he has shown himself to be, and glad that he is our covenant God. We are to delight in his beauty, generosity, and kindness. Our souls should return to him and rest in him as our lasting portion.

When we are satisfied with his faithful love, we are to be satisfied in it and count it our greatest joy (Psalm 43:4). This command comes after the call to do good, so delighting in God is both a privilege and a duty. If we are careful to obey God, then we may rightly enjoy peace and gladness in him. This pleasant duty also carries a rich promise: “He shall give thee the desires of thy heart.”

He has not promised to satisfy every bodily appetite or every fancy of our imaginations. He promises to grant the desires of the heart, the deep desires of a renewed and holy soul. And what does a good person most want? To know God, love God, live for God, and please him while finding delight in him.

Third, we must make God our guide and submit everything to his direction and care. Then all our affairs, even the ones that seem most tangled and hard, will end well and satisfy us (Psalm 37:5, 6). The duty itself is simple, and if we do it rightly, it will make us calm. “Commit thy way unto the Lord” means, as the margin says, “Roll your way upon the Lord” (Proverbs 16:3; Psalm 55:22). It is also like this: “Cast your burden on the Lord,” the burden of your care (1 Peter 5:7).

We must let go of our worries ourselves, so we do not trouble and wear ourselves out with thoughts about the future (Matthew 6:25). We should not burden ourselves either by trying to work out every means or by fretting over the outcome. Instead, we should hand the matter over to God and leave it to his wise and good care to order everything as he sees fit.

The Septuagint reads, “Turn your way to the Lord.” That means, “By prayer, lay your case and all your concerns before the Lord.” Jephthah, the judge of Israel, did this when he spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah (Judges 11:11). Then trust God to bring the matter to a good end, fully satisfied that whatever God does is right. Our duty must be our concern, and then we leave the result with God. Sit still and see how the matter turns out (Ruth 3:18). We should follow Providence, God’s guiding care, and not try to force it. We should submit to Infinite Wisdom, God’s perfect wisdom, and not try to tell it what to do.

The promise is very sweet. In general, God will bring about whatever you have committed to him. If not according to your own plans, then according to your peace of mind. He will find a way to bring you out of your tight places, quiet your fears, and work out your purposes in a way that satisfies you. In particular, he will take care of your reputation and bring you out of trouble, not only with comfort, but also with credit and honor. “He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Psalm 37:6). That means he will make it clear that you are an honest person, and that is honor enough.

This also means that the righteousness and justice of good people may, for a time, be hidden or covered up. Sometimes this happens because of clear rebukes from Providence, as Job’s great sufferings made his righteousness seem dark. Sometimes it happens because of the harsh judgments and slander of people, who give them bad names they do not deserve and accuse them of things they do not know. Yet God promises that, in due time, he will roll away that reproach, clear up their innocence, and bring their righteousness into the light for their honor, perhaps in this life, and certainly in the great day (Matthew 13:43). The lesson is plain: if we take care to keep a good conscience, we can leave it to God to take care of our good name.