Psalm 37:1-2 WHOM OR WHAT DO YOU ENVY?

OUR THOUGHTS NEED TO BE SHAPED BY THE WORD OF GOD

Read the PSALM

Psalm 37:1-2

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

2 For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb. 

Fret not: ‘do not be worried or vexed, do not be corroded or agitated’, from the English dictionary. In the original language, this word is also often translated as ‘anger’. As he writes this psalm, David is commanding us to respond correctly to the apparent success of those who do evil.

Because evildoers surround us, we are daily tempted to look at their prosperity and envy them. We might even assume that our position and righteousness as God’s children should entitle us to the blessings of prosperity, or at least some measure of comfort.

God wants us, instead, to have a proper perspective. We need to fix our eyes on the eternal, not on the temporal. The wicked will soon fade away, with all their belongings.

Jesus said it very clearly when He spoke to the crowds:

Matthew 6:19-21

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

If our lives are fixed on the temporal, then earthly possessions will take hold of our heart. Our lives will be driven by accumulating and protecting that which will merely corrode or can be stolen away.

It’s interesting that when our hearts and minds begin to envy others or be angered by our perceived needs not being supplied, we are exposing our lack of trust in God. We are rebelling against God’s all-wise provision and justice.

Psalm 37:3-4

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

David, inspired by God, gives us some very clear instructions about the attitudes and actions that should be filling our hearts and lives.

We should trust the Lord, do good, remain faithful, and find our ultimate pleasure in the Lord Himself. In other words, trust should replace fear, goodness should replace envy, faithfulness should replace anger. Our desires should be driven by our total surrender to the Lord.

We must find pleasure in the Lord. Our thoughts need to be shaped by the Word of God. Our values, our goals, our drives, our passions must find their source in what has eternal value.

How often we allow the world or our carnal desires to drive our thoughts, actions and reactions. Do we really believe that God is sovereign over all? Do we really believe that all He does is good? Do we truly believe that what He gives us is really what is best for us?

Every day exposes where we are. If we envy the ungodly, we are certainly being ungrateful and unsubmissive, but if we have peace and rest in our hearts, we are finding our refuge in the Lord.

Do we lose sight of these truths at times? Certainly yes, and that is why God has given us this psalm to steer us in the right direction. Are you struggling today? Delight yourself in the Lord and trust in Him – do what is good.