In this psalm, we find David, who is much older now, dealing with some securities and insecurities of his own. He’s looking around and sees the wicked becoming more and more prosperous and at the same time, he sees the righteous becoming more and more concerned about this.
We can’t’ tell from our English Bibles, but in Hebrew, we find that each verse begins with another letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Psalms 9-10 / Psalm 25 / Psalm 34 / Psalm 37 / Psalm 111 / Psalm 112 / Psalm 119 / Psalm 145.
Commentators give many different reasons for some psalms being written in Hebrew alphabetical order, but I personally think it was written this way to make the learning of the psalm easy and easy to memorise.
Although the headings aren’t inspired by God, they are important because they give us some understanding of the Psalm and they help us to see why it was written. The headings usually tell us four things.
1. Who wrote them, probably wrote them, or possibly wrote them.
2. Information about the historical background to the Psalm. Why it was written.
3. They tell us of the tune the Psalm was written to.
4. How it was used.
The heading simply tells us that this is a psalm of David.
The first piece of advice, to help us with worry, is to remind ourselves that ‘God commands us not to worry’ Psalm 37:1-2. Notice he says, ‘do not fret’ Psalm 37:1, three times, Psalm 37:7 / Psalm 37:8, and as we know the New Testament commands us not to worry as well, Matthew 6:25 / Matthew 6:34 / Philippians 4:6.
Worrying is sinful because it’s a pointless exercise, Matthew 6:27, Jesus says worrying is an absolute waste of time because nothing good can come out of it. David, Paul, Philippians 4:6, and Jesus all command us not to worry, which tells us that worrying is sinful because worry is a choice. If it wasn’t possible to go through life without worrying, then why would God command us not to worry?
We may not be able to control what kind of things enter our minds, but we can certainly control the things we choose to dwell on. Worrying is a choice, and we choose to worry because we don’t trust God enough to take care of the things which are out of our control.
If the God of creation can speak creation into existence, what makes us think He isn’t capable of looking, after all, our tomorrows? Psalm 37:2. God is more than capable of helping us in our times of worry and we need to learn to trust Him, Romans 8:28. When a person totally trusts God, they don’t rely on their own capabilities, they trust in His power, His plans, and His love for us.
David continues and gives us two more pieces of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘trust in the LORD and do good’, Psalm 37:3. Trusting God and doing good go together, we can’t separate them, if our faith isn’t demonstrated and backed up with doing good for others, then our faith, like worry, is a complete waste of time, James 2:14. When we trust God to take care of us, we can focus our attention on taking care of those around us, which means we haven’t got time to worry about ourselves.
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘take delight in the LORD’, Psalm 37:4. If anyone gets their source of pleasure solely from anything in this world, then they don’t really know God. Speaking from his own experience, David says, when we delight in God, ‘God gives us the desires of our hearts’, Psalm 37:4.
Obviously, if our heart’s desire is to sin, then God won’t grant those requests, but if our heart’s desire is to do what God desires for us, then He will grant those requests, James 3:4 / 1 John 5:14. In other words, if God gives us the desires of our hearts, then what have we got to worry about?
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry; he tells us to ‘commit your way to the LORD’, Psalm 37:5. We all know how important commitment is in our relationships, marriages, and friendships, but the commitment that David is speaking about here relates to something much deeper than that.
The word ‘commit’ Psalm 37:5, used here, is the Hebrew word, ‘galal’, and it means to roll onto something else. It’s used in relation to the theme of the first eight verses, which is worry. In other words, committing our ways to the Lord means we roll our anxieties onto the Lord, 1 Peter 5:7.
When we pray to God and pour out our anxieties and stresses upon Him, we need to learn to leave them with Him. We can’t do anything positive with them, so give them to God and trust Him to deal with those anxieties and worries for us.
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him’, Psalm 37:7. When we pray to God and pour out our anxieties and stresses upon Him, 1 Peter 5:7, we not only need to learn to leave them with Him, but we also need to ‘learn to be silent’, Psalm 37:7. We need to remember that there are times when we should just enjoy the silence.
David is telling us that there are times after we have spoken to God about our concerns, we simply need to sit quietly in silence before God, James 1:19. We would worry a lot less if we took time to sit at the Lord’s feet in silence and listen to what He has to say to us.
When we pray to God and pour out our anxieties and stresses upon Him, we not only need to learn to leave them with Him. We not only need to learn to be silent, but we must also ‘learn to be patient’, Psalm 37:7. Patiently waiting on God helps us remember that God is in control, Revelation 6:11. Worry creates impatience, where we want all our problems over as quickly as possible.
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘refrain from anger and turn from wrath’, Psalm 37:8. We all get angry at times, but anger in and of itself isn’t sinful, it’s what we do with that anger that can lead to sin, Ephesians 4:26-27. God says we must be very careful what we do with our anger, because not only will it hurt others, but it will also ultimately hurt ourselves.
In this context, David is basically saying that the righteous shouldn’t fret about all the inequalities of life, Psalm 37:8. The righteous shouldn’t feel insecure because those who are evil appeared to be thriving. And the reason the righteous shouldn’t worry is simply because they have God and the wicked don’t.
The wealth of the wicked won’t last long, but the righteous will have God in their lives forever. David says, as long as the righteous have food and shelter, they should be content with living in God’s favour because God will supply them with what they need, Philippians 4:19.
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘forget about the wicked’. He says don’t worry what the wicked are doing, he says not only will the wealth of the wicked not last long but they themselves won’t last long, Psalm 37:9-10.
Notice he says the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity, Psalm 37:11. Those listening to Jesus speak were full of the hope that He, as the Messiah, would lead them to conquest in a physical kingdom that would dominate by force, Proverbs 16:32. However, Jesus taught true joy is found in meekness, Matthew 5:5.
The primary meaning of this word is ‘mild’ or ‘gentle.’ Meekness is not another word for weakness, as some mistakenly believe, for genuine meekness is strength under control. The word ‘meek’, Psalm 37:11, has its origin in the taming or domestication of animals.
A wild animal is strong but destructive and of little value when out of control. However, when a horse, for example, is tamed, it loses none of its power, but its strength is brought under the control of its trainer. It is now a useful animal and can be employed for much good.
The same is true of man. A person who is strong, physically, or spiritually, is of little use to the Lord until they submit to Him and allows their strength to be controlled by God’s desires. A meek person is totally given to the divine will. Such a person does get angry when circumstances warrant it, but they do so in a controlled manner i.e., without sinning, Ephesians 4:26.
Moses is a good example of meekness, Numbers 12:3 / Exodus 32:19-35, and Jesus Himself is also a good example of meekness, so is Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30 / John 2:14-22.
The Christian Courier Website notes the following concerning inheriting the earth, Matthew 5:5.
1. God is the owner of this earth, Psalm 24:1.
2. Those who obey Christ become children of God, Galatians 3:27 / Hebrews 5:9, and ‘joint-heirs’ with the Lord, Romans 8:17.
3. The Father supplies all our needs, Philippians 4:19, we therefore enjoy this earth and its blessings more than all others.
4. Mainly, however, our inheritance is spiritual, Acts 20:32, we are heirs in the kingdom of Christ, Ephesians 5:5, and citizenship in that kingdom is available now on this earth, John 3:3-5 / Colossians 1:13.
Finally, we also look for an inheritance that is reserved for us in heaven, 1 Peter 1:4, because we are aware that the earth will be destroyed when Christ returns, 2 Peter 3:10.
Spurgeon, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It looks as if they would be pushed out of the world but they shall not be, ‘for they shall inherit the earth.’ The wolves devour the sheep, yet there are more sheep in the world than there are wolves, and the sheep, continue to multiply, and to feed in green pastures.’
In other words, the meek shall inherit the earth in the sense that they shall enjoy it more fully while living upon it, Psalm 37:1 / John 10:10 / Philippians 4:10-13. The world is full of injustice, it’s full of people who think they can do what they like and get away with it.
David cries out and asks God, ‘why are the wicked prospering, whilst the righteous struggle to make ends meet? Psalm 37:12, and God just laughs, Psalm 37:13, and says, ‘don’t worry about it, their time is coming to end’, Psalm 37:10.
God says, ‘let them use their swords and bows to attack you, Psalm 37:14, but those very same swords and bows will end up killing them’, Psalm 37:15. In other words, the righteous shouldn’t stress about how little they have compared to the wicked Psalm 37:16.
Because what little they do have, will outlast what the wicked have, Psalm 37:17. David’s point is simply this, if God is working for us, if God is taking care of us, Psalm 37:18-20, then, why are you worrying about what the wicked are doing?
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘count our blessings’. While the wicked borrow and don’t repay, the righteous give generously, Psalm 37:21 / 2 Corinthians 9:7.
Christians are the richest people in the world because we have the richest Father in the world. We’re the richest people in the world because we don’t count our blessings in terms of pounds. We’re the richest people in the world because what we do have, comes from the Lord, Psalm 24:1-2 / Hebrews 2:10-18.
While those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, those he curses will be destroyed, Psalm 37:22. It’s God who makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him and though he may stumble, he will not fall, for He upholds him with His hand, Psalm 37:22-24.
David in his old age, can’t remember a time when God turned His back on the righteous Psalm 37:25. He can’t remember a time when the righteous have gone without, and He says, we are so blessed, we can generously help others who aren’t so blessed, Psalm 37:26 / 1 Chronicles 29:13-14.
God blesses us so that we can bless others and because of our relationship with God, He promises to uphold us and destroy all evil. He says the wicked will be removed from God’s people, so they can enjoy peace in the Promised Land. In other words, when we count our own blessings, we won’t have time to count how other people are being blessed.
David continues and gives us another piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘allow God’s Word to transform us’. We turn from evil and do good, Psalm 37:27, and we use words of wisdom and speak justly, Psalm 37:28. David says that the righteous must have the confidence to know that God is working for them, Psalm 37:29-30.
David says the righteous have ‘the law of their God in their heart’, Psalm 37:31. The word ‘transformed’ used in Romans 12:2 / 2 Corinthians 3:18, and it is the Greek word, ‘metamorphoo’.
In other words, when we approach God’s Word, we must take the words off the pages, and put them into our hearts, Psalm 37:31. Because when we put them in our hearts, they will morph our hearts and morph our lives. But we must be willing to allow God’s Word to change us.
While the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death, the LORD won’t leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial, Psalm 37:32-33 / Romans 8:1. David continues and gives us his final piece of advice to help us with worry, he tells us to ‘place our hope in the Lord’, Psalm 37:34.
David ends his Psalm by contrasting the righteous with the wicked. He says the wicked oppress the righteous, but the Lord delivers those who are His. David is looking around and sees the wicked thrive, he sees the righteous being unfairly treated, Psalm 37:35.
And in what looks like a hopeless situation, he reminds the righteous to put their hope in the Lord. He reminds them to trust God, trust that God will deliver them, Psalm 37:36, but at the same time, they must be patient, Psalm 37:37.
David says we should stop worrying and start trusting. He says all sinners will be destroyed, there will be no future for the wicked, Psalm 37:38 / Romans 6:23. He says we must trust and put our hope in God because He is our salvation, Psalm 37:39, He’s the One who gives us the strength to endure in times of trials, Psalm 37:39. He’s the One who promises that He will deliver us from those hard times, Psalm 37:40.
David reminded the righteous, who are facing hardships, that although the wicked are prospering at the moment, the wicked’s prosperity will soon come to an end, Ecclesiastes 3:17. He reminded the righteous not to worry, the question is, do we trust God enough to wait on Him to deliver us?
We must give God our concerns and trust that He will deliver us from them, Matthew 6:25 / Matthew 6:34 / Philippians 4:6. We must be patient when we’re going through trials, as this will help us to grow as Christians, James 1:2-3. Instead of focusing on what the wicked are doing, maybe we should pause and reflect upon how God is blessing us, Ephesians 1:3 / Colossians 3:1-2.
The hymn writer Johnson Oatman once asked, in his hymn, ‘Count your blessings’,
When was the last time we tried to count our blessings? When was the last time we took the time to sit down to try and name them one by one?