Psalm 37 is a great chapter in the Bible contrasting the righteous and the wicked.  I like how it gives us a lot of practical instruction that we can apply to our lives no matter where we may be.   This psalm tells us some things not to do, but then it tells us what to do.  We have to choose if we are going to trust God and keep our focus on him, or if we are going to fret, which literally means to rub or wear away a substance by friction, or get all worked up!

 Let’s look at just a few verses:

Psalm 37:1-8

1-Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2-For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3-Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4-Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5–Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

6-And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7-Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8-Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9-For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

In October, we got a grand dog!  Darcy (a girl) is a mini Australian shepherd.   I help take care of her two days a week when both parents are at work.  I bring a bright orange tennis ball with me, our special toy.  She loves it.  She also has other toys at her house.  When she sees me grab another toy, she comes over and tries to get it, but doesn’t want to let go of the ball.  I tell her, “You have to choose!  You can’t have both at once!”

I was thinking—it’s the same for me.  I can have fear, I can fret or worry and get all worked up over things going on in my life and the world around me, or I can drop that worry and fear and pick up my faith, or trust.  I can trust in the Lord, and do good.  I can delight in the Lord, and commit my way to Him, knowing that He is in control, because He knows everything that is going on, not just in my life, but in the whole world.  Because of that I can rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him. I can cease or drop anger, and forsake wrath.  God promises that one day the righteous will inherit the land—that’s promised several times in this chapter. 

But God also promises that one day the wicked will be judged for what they are doing.  That will be a very sad day for them.  In the meantime, drop the fear, and pick up trust, because you have to choose!