Psalm 37:1–2 —Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; *for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. *
It is easy to say “do not be agitated,” but it takes a strong faith to reach this level of confidence in the Lord. The cause for anxiety in this case is envy of wrongdoers who prosper in the world. A deep trust in the Lord enables people to delight in Him, and He will give them the desires of their hearts. Those desires, however, will be in harmony with God’s will. The Apologetics Study Bible
As Job’s friend Zopher noted, “the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment” (Job 20:5). Why should the righteous be envious of that? KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:3 —Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. *
The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord. But there is more, and do good. True faith always produces good works. A faith that trusts in the Lord will find active outlet. And truly you will be fed. The Good Shepherd is always present to care for His sheep. Feed on this thought, and you will fret not. KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:4 —Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. *
The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God, & we're thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness & joy. They who love God with all their hearts find that his ways are ways of pleasantness & all his paths are peace. Morning and evening
The promise, He will give you the desires of your heart, is based on the condition, delight yourself in the Lord. One who delights in Him will have righteous desires. The Bible Knowledge Commentary Here is the third lesson we must learn. If we make the Lord God the object of our affection, our meditation, and our activity, then we will find ourselves rejoicing in the Spirit. Evildoers delight in their position; but as a child of God, if you delight in yours, you will never envy theirs. And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. When we find pleasure in the Lord God, we will then be rewarded with our innermost desires; we will have all that God intends for us to have. KJV Bible Commentary.
Psalm 37:5 —Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: *
A heart of true praise never uses the word if. “If God heals my son, I will thank Him.” Rather, the fountain of genuine worship flows through all the peaks & valleys of nevertheless. “If my son isn't healed, nevertheless I will praise Him.” “If my bills aren't paid, nevertheless I will extol Him.” Pure praise for our great & awesome God is never diminished by circumstance. Unfettered worship comes from hearts who understand that God owes us nothing, but has given us everything. All that accompanies life is a gift from God, given because of His immeasurable love. We can't earn physical life or our salvation. True praise focuses on the astounding attributes & character of God. It rejoices in His goodness. Enter His gates
Psalm 37:6 —He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. *
The believer should transfer all anxiety about life to the Lord “and he [emphatic] will do it,” i.e., the Lord will take care of the situation. Whereas the just cause of the psalmist has been hidden, Yahweh would make it shine forth like the sun rising out of the darkness of the night. The rightness of his cause will become as clear as the full light of the noonday. The wisdom literature and Psalms
Psalm 37:7 —Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. *
We are to wait knowing the Lord will protect us and save us because of His great love for us.
The remedy for impatience is to “rest in” or “be silent to” God in the calmness of faith. One should not be angry over the prosperity enjoyed by the wicked. Discontent is not only foolish and useless, but dangerous. It may lead one to deny God’s providence and to cast his lot with the wicked. The wisdom literature and Psalms.
God’s promises are your hope as you wait on Him. Waiting on God does not mean being idle. It is active, daily obedience in the things you know to do with supreme confidence in His perfect, sovereign answer. Waiting on God means you know that He is at work when all appears silent and frozen. In His time, in His way, He will meet your needs and bring honor to His name. Admit your helplessness. In your weariness, cast your burdens on Him. Remember, nothing is too difficult for Him. Enter His gates
Psalm 37:8 —Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. *
The message of “Relax! Don’t react!” returns from verse 1. The Lord’s intervention is imminent. The MacArthur study Bible
Fretting means getting out at elbows mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say ‘Fret not,’ but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. It sounds so easy to talk about “resting in the Lord” and “waiting patiently for Him” until the nest is upset—until we live, as so many are doing, in tumult and anguish; is it possible then to rest in the Lord?
Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God Himself. Fussing always ends in sin. We imagine that a little anxiety & worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried & He was never anxious, because He was not ‘out’ to realize His own ideas; He was ‘out’ to realize God’s ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God. Put all ‘supposing’ to the side & dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret & worry is caused by calculating without God. My utmost for his highest
Psalm 37:9–10 —For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. *A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. *
The other side of his admonition is the command not to be agitated by evildoers, since their success is temporary. Eventually, the “meek” (or humble) will inherit the earth (v. 11; see Matthew 5:5). This inheritance comes as the gift of God, to whom the meek have committed themselves and before whom they humbly submit themselves. The Woman’s Study Bible
Psalm 37:12–13 —The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; *but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. *
God, who sees the end from the beginning, knows the day is coming when the wicked shall no longer prosper. KJV Bible Commentary
The wicked plot against the righteous. Just as the nations plot in vain against God, their plots against the righteous are also in vain. God is not concerned with their plots; He ridicules them. Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 37:14–18 —The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. *But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. *Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; *for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. *The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. *
God cares for the godly. He knows “the days” of the upright, i.e., their lives are under his watchful care. The wisdom literature and Psalms.
Psalm 37:19–21 —In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. *But the wicked will perish: The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke. *The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; *
The wicked are brought to poverty. They are forced to borrow what they can never repay. The righteous person, on the other hand, has enough and to spare. He is generous with his bounty. The former condition proceeds directly from the curse of God, the latter from his blessing. The wisdom literature and Psalms
Psalm 37:22–23 —those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. *If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; *
If God directs the steps of a person then he will delight in his way. When he stumbles in life he will not be “cast down,” for God will uphold him with his hand (power). The wisdom literature and Psalms.
Psalm 37:24 —though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. *
Your performance doesn’t determine your standing in Christ; your standing in Christ determines your performance. Good works are the necessary result of salvation (Eph. 2:10), but they don’t save you or keep you saved. That’s God’s work. Jude said, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy … ” “Able” in this verse translates a Greek word that speaks of power. “Keep” literally means “to secure in the midst of an attack.” “Stumbling” refers to falling into sin. Together they say that God is powerful enough to prevent you from stumbling into sin and falling away from Him, no matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be. He will continue to protect and cleanse you until the day you enter His glorious Heaven perfected. Drawing Near
The righteous fail and fall down; yet they never experience total defeat. From personal observation the poet drew the conclusion that God never abandons His children. Though they may experience the heartaches of a fallen world, God’s children are never completely forsaken. In fact, His blessings will extend to the next generation. The Woman’s Study Bible
Psalm 37:25–26 —I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. *They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. *
The psalmist says that he has never seen the righteous abandoned, nor their children reduced to begging. This is a general observation of God’s faithfulness; it does not mean life will be easy or trouble free for the righteous. Since God will never forsake the righteous, He will ultimately rescue them, but in His time. Through periods of difficulty it will seem as though God has forsaken people, but in such cases He is calling upon them to exercise a deeper trust and commitment. The Apologetics Study Bible
What David is saying is wonderful—God is with us all the way. When David was young, God was with him and helped him kill the giant. When David became old, God was still there and helped him stabilize the kingdom and prepare for the building of the temple. This is a heartening promise for the Christian believer. No matter how you may change or how life may change, God never changes, and His promises never fail. But what about those hours of disobedience? Yes, there were times in David’s life when he disobeyed God and sinned. Did God approve of that sin? Of course not! Did God deal with David’s sin? Yes, He did. David was chastened for his disobedience. But did God forsake His child because he had sinned? No!
There were times when David was not acceptable, but he was still accepted. David’s salvation depended on the grace of God, not his own good works; and God was faithful to keep His promise. God had to rebuke and discipline David, but God never forsook him. The fact that God does chasten us when we refuse to confess our sins is proof that He is with us and not against us. As parents, we often have to spank our children, and we do it because we love them. When a child disobeys, he doesn’t cease being a member of the family! His fellowship with the family may be broken, but his sonship goes right on. We don’t forsake our children when they disobey, and God the heavenly Father doesn’t forsake us when we sin. He lovingly warns us, convicts us, rebukes us, and, if necessary, chastens us; and all of this is proof that He has not forsaken us.
The promise of Psalm 37:25: also assures us of God’s provision—we never become beggars. David is saying: God will always provide whatever we need so that we don’t have to turn to anyone else except Him. No matter what your circumstances are just now, if you know Christ is your Savior and are living for Him, you can be sure that He will meet your every need. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33). The bumps are what you climb on.
God cannot afford to fail us. If He fails, then everything in this universe falls to pieces. God must be true to Himself and true to His Word. God cannot lie. His promises are sure and steadfast. If God once failed to care for one of His children, He would lose far more than we would. His very character is at stake! He has promised to care for us, and if He doesn’t keep His promise, then He has ceased to be God. You can be sure that this will never happen. Yesterday God helped me, Today He’ll do the same. How long will this continue? Forever—praise His name! The bumps are what you climb on.
Psalm 37:27–29 —Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. *For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; *the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. *
God loves justice. He will not forsake his saints (holy ones). The descendants of the wicked, however, will be “cut off” (destroyed). The wisdom literature and Psalms
The righteous man has a generous impulse that causes him constantly to be a giver. The righteous are preserved, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:30–31 —The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. *The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. *
A man’s character is frequently betrayed by his tongue. The law of his God is in his heart. Because the godly has the law of God in his heart, none of his steps shall slide. KJV Bible Commentary
Jesus tells us: Luke 6:45 —The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. * We're also taught that it is by being in God's Word daily that we keep ourselves from sin and evil, and grow in our faith.
Psalm 37:32–33 —The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; *but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. *
The wicked hate the righteous and want to do us harm. They may not even realize why they hate us, but their sin nature is convicted by the Holy Spirit that lives in us, and they can't stand that and try to stop it by hurting us. But God is the one who is really in control, and He will protect us.
Psalm 37:34 —Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. *
Again we're told to wait for the Lord and to continue to live upright lives while we're waiting. When we do that, we will eventually see the wicked get what's coming to them.
Psalm 37:35–36 —I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, *but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. *
Here we're told that even if we have to wait till the wicked man dies, we can know that they will have no pleasure nor any good thing after death, but will receive all they have coming to them in hell. And we will never have to deal with them again. It's taken for granted that we will continue and live forever with the Lord, having such a wonderful life for eternity that we can't begin to imagine how wonderful it's going to be. This is what he's comparing to the life the wicked will have after death, as we'll see in the next verses.
Psalm 37:37–38 —Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. *But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. *
Most of the time, when we think of our lives, we only consider this one and we think of our eternal life as though it was something separate and very distant. But it really isn't. We've already begun our eternal lives. (which makes celebrating birthdays here kind of funny lol) David and the others we read about in the Bible, didn't think this way. To them, it was all one life and just as we might plan for our retirement in this life, they planned for their eternal lives, storing up treasure in heaven like Jesus tells us to.
Psalm 37:39–40 —The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. *The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. *
Lest there be any doubt, we're reminded this is all from God and not of our own doing.
Conclusion: The believer should never waste a minute fretting about his enemies, but should look forward with the eye of faith, when he will see no reason to envy wicked people their short-lived prosperity. Those who make God their heart’s delight will have their heart’s desire and will be fully satisfied in Him.
Striking Facts: Come what may, the saints are safe in Christ Jesus and because He lives, they shall live also. As heirs with Him, heaven and eternity shall be theirs. Who would not be a Christian on such terms, in spite of all the oppression of the godless? Summarized Bible
It is easy to say “do not be agitated,” but it takes a strong faith to reach this level of confidence in the Lord. The cause for anxiety in this case is envy of wrongdoers who prosper in the world. A deep trust in the Lord enables people to delight in Him, and He will give them the desires of their hearts. Those desires, however, will be in harmony with God’s will. The Apologetics Study Bible
As Job’s friend Zopher noted, “the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment” (Job 20:5). Why should the righteous be envious of that? KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:3 —Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. *
The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord. But there is more, and do good. True faith always produces good works. A faith that trusts in the Lord will find active outlet. And truly you will be fed. The Good Shepherd is always present to care for His sheep. Feed on this thought, and you will fret not. KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:4 —Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. *
The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God, & we're thus certified of the great fact that true religion overflows with happiness & joy. They who love God with all their hearts find that his ways are ways of pleasantness & all his paths are peace. Morning and evening
The promise, He will give you the desires of your heart, is based on the condition, delight yourself in the Lord. One who delights in Him will have righteous desires. The Bible Knowledge Commentary Here is the third lesson we must learn. If we make the Lord God the object of our affection, our meditation, and our activity, then we will find ourselves rejoicing in the Spirit. Evildoers delight in their position; but as a child of God, if you delight in yours, you will never envy theirs. And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. When we find pleasure in the Lord God, we will then be rewarded with our innermost desires; we will have all that God intends for us to have. KJV Bible Commentary.
Psalm 37:5 —Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: *
A heart of true praise never uses the word if. “If God heals my son, I will thank Him.” Rather, the fountain of genuine worship flows through all the peaks & valleys of nevertheless. “If my son isn't healed, nevertheless I will praise Him.” “If my bills aren't paid, nevertheless I will extol Him.” Pure praise for our great & awesome God is never diminished by circumstance. Unfettered worship comes from hearts who understand that God owes us nothing, but has given us everything. All that accompanies life is a gift from God, given because of His immeasurable love. We can't earn physical life or our salvation. True praise focuses on the astounding attributes & character of God. It rejoices in His goodness. Enter His gates
Psalm 37:6 —He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. *
The believer should transfer all anxiety about life to the Lord “and he [emphatic] will do it,” i.e., the Lord will take care of the situation. Whereas the just cause of the psalmist has been hidden, Yahweh would make it shine forth like the sun rising out of the darkness of the night. The rightness of his cause will become as clear as the full light of the noonday. The wisdom literature and Psalms
Psalm 37:7 —Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. *
We are to wait knowing the Lord will protect us and save us because of His great love for us.
The remedy for impatience is to “rest in” or “be silent to” God in the calmness of faith. One should not be angry over the prosperity enjoyed by the wicked. Discontent is not only foolish and useless, but dangerous. It may lead one to deny God’s providence and to cast his lot with the wicked. The wisdom literature and Psalms.
God’s promises are your hope as you wait on Him. Waiting on God does not mean being idle. It is active, daily obedience in the things you know to do with supreme confidence in His perfect, sovereign answer. Waiting on God means you know that He is at work when all appears silent and frozen. In His time, in His way, He will meet your needs and bring honor to His name. Admit your helplessness. In your weariness, cast your burdens on Him. Remember, nothing is too difficult for Him. Enter His gates
Psalm 37:8 —Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. *
The message of “Relax! Don’t react!” returns from verse 1. The Lord’s intervention is imminent. The MacArthur study Bible
Fretting means getting out at elbows mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say ‘Fret not,’ but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. It sounds so easy to talk about “resting in the Lord” and “waiting patiently for Him” until the nest is upset—until we live, as so many are doing, in tumult and anguish; is it possible then to rest in the Lord?
Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God Himself. Fussing always ends in sin. We imagine that a little anxiety & worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried & He was never anxious, because He was not ‘out’ to realize His own ideas; He was ‘out’ to realize God’s ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God. Put all ‘supposing’ to the side & dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret & worry is caused by calculating without God. My utmost for his highest
Psalm 37:9–10 —For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. *A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. *
The other side of his admonition is the command not to be agitated by evildoers, since their success is temporary. Eventually, the “meek” (or humble) will inherit the earth (v. 11; see Matthew 5:5). This inheritance comes as the gift of God, to whom the meek have committed themselves and before whom they humbly submit themselves. The Woman’s Study Bible
Psalm 37:12–13 —The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; *but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. *
God, who sees the end from the beginning, knows the day is coming when the wicked shall no longer prosper. KJV Bible Commentary
The wicked plot against the righteous. Just as the nations plot in vain against God, their plots against the righteous are also in vain. God is not concerned with their plots; He ridicules them. Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 37:14–18 —The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. *But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. *Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; *for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. *The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. *
God cares for the godly. He knows “the days” of the upright, i.e., their lives are under his watchful care. The wisdom literature and Psalms.
Psalm 37:19–21 —In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. *But the wicked will perish: The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke. *The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; *
The wicked are brought to poverty. They are forced to borrow what they can never repay. The righteous person, on the other hand, has enough and to spare. He is generous with his bounty. The former condition proceeds directly from the curse of God, the latter from his blessing. The wisdom literature and Psalms
Psalm 37:22–23 —those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. *If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; *
If God directs the steps of a person then he will delight in his way. When he stumbles in life he will not be “cast down,” for God will uphold him with his hand (power). The wisdom literature and Psalms.
Psalm 37:24 —though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. *
Your performance doesn’t determine your standing in Christ; your standing in Christ determines your performance. Good works are the necessary result of salvation (Eph. 2:10), but they don’t save you or keep you saved. That’s God’s work. Jude said, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy … ” “Able” in this verse translates a Greek word that speaks of power. “Keep” literally means “to secure in the midst of an attack.” “Stumbling” refers to falling into sin. Together they say that God is powerful enough to prevent you from stumbling into sin and falling away from Him, no matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be. He will continue to protect and cleanse you until the day you enter His glorious Heaven perfected. Drawing Near
The righteous fail and fall down; yet they never experience total defeat. From personal observation the poet drew the conclusion that God never abandons His children. Though they may experience the heartaches of a fallen world, God’s children are never completely forsaken. In fact, His blessings will extend to the next generation. The Woman’s Study Bible
Psalm 37:25–26 —I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. *They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. *
The psalmist says that he has never seen the righteous abandoned, nor their children reduced to begging. This is a general observation of God’s faithfulness; it does not mean life will be easy or trouble free for the righteous. Since God will never forsake the righteous, He will ultimately rescue them, but in His time. Through periods of difficulty it will seem as though God has forsaken people, but in such cases He is calling upon them to exercise a deeper trust and commitment. The Apologetics Study Bible
What David is saying is wonderful—God is with us all the way. When David was young, God was with him and helped him kill the giant. When David became old, God was still there and helped him stabilize the kingdom and prepare for the building of the temple. This is a heartening promise for the Christian believer. No matter how you may change or how life may change, God never changes, and His promises never fail. But what about those hours of disobedience? Yes, there were times in David’s life when he disobeyed God and sinned. Did God approve of that sin? Of course not! Did God deal with David’s sin? Yes, He did. David was chastened for his disobedience. But did God forsake His child because he had sinned? No!
There were times when David was not acceptable, but he was still accepted. David’s salvation depended on the grace of God, not his own good works; and God was faithful to keep His promise. God had to rebuke and discipline David, but God never forsook him. The fact that God does chasten us when we refuse to confess our sins is proof that He is with us and not against us. As parents, we often have to spank our children, and we do it because we love them. When a child disobeys, he doesn’t cease being a member of the family! His fellowship with the family may be broken, but his sonship goes right on. We don’t forsake our children when they disobey, and God the heavenly Father doesn’t forsake us when we sin. He lovingly warns us, convicts us, rebukes us, and, if necessary, chastens us; and all of this is proof that He has not forsaken us.
The promise of Psalm 37:25: also assures us of God’s provision—we never become beggars. David is saying: God will always provide whatever we need so that we don’t have to turn to anyone else except Him. No matter what your circumstances are just now, if you know Christ is your Savior and are living for Him, you can be sure that He will meet your every need. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33). The bumps are what you climb on.
God cannot afford to fail us. If He fails, then everything in this universe falls to pieces. God must be true to Himself and true to His Word. God cannot lie. His promises are sure and steadfast. If God once failed to care for one of His children, He would lose far more than we would. His very character is at stake! He has promised to care for us, and if He doesn’t keep His promise, then He has ceased to be God. You can be sure that this will never happen. Yesterday God helped me, Today He’ll do the same. How long will this continue? Forever—praise His name! The bumps are what you climb on.
Psalm 37:27–29 —Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. *For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; *the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. *
God loves justice. He will not forsake his saints (holy ones). The descendants of the wicked, however, will be “cut off” (destroyed). The wisdom literature and Psalms
The righteous man has a generous impulse that causes him constantly to be a giver. The righteous are preserved, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. KJV Bible Commentary
Psalm 37:30–31 —The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. *The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. *
A man’s character is frequently betrayed by his tongue. The law of his God is in his heart. Because the godly has the law of God in his heart, none of his steps shall slide. KJV Bible Commentary
Jesus tells us: Luke 6:45 —The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. * We're also taught that it is by being in God's Word daily that we keep ourselves from sin and evil, and grow in our faith.
Psalm 37:32–33 —The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; *but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. *
The wicked hate the righteous and want to do us harm. They may not even realize why they hate us, but their sin nature is convicted by the Holy Spirit that lives in us, and they can't stand that and try to stop it by hurting us. But God is the one who is really in control, and He will protect us.
Psalm 37:34 —Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. *
Again we're told to wait for the Lord and to continue to live upright lives while we're waiting. When we do that, we will eventually see the wicked get what's coming to them.
Psalm 37:35–36 —I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, *but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. *
Here we're told that even if we have to wait till the wicked man dies, we can know that they will have no pleasure nor any good thing after death, but will receive all they have coming to them in hell. And we will never have to deal with them again. It's taken for granted that we will continue and live forever with the Lord, having such a wonderful life for eternity that we can't begin to imagine how wonderful it's going to be. This is what he's comparing to the life the wicked will have after death, as we'll see in the next verses.
Psalm 37:37–38 —Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. *But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. *
Most of the time, when we think of our lives, we only consider this one and we think of our eternal life as though it was something separate and very distant. But it really isn't. We've already begun our eternal lives. (which makes celebrating birthdays here kind of funny lol) David and the others we read about in the Bible, didn't think this way. To them, it was all one life and just as we might plan for our retirement in this life, they planned for their eternal lives, storing up treasure in heaven like Jesus tells us to.
Psalm 37:39–40 —The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. *The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. *
Lest there be any doubt, we're reminded this is all from God and not of our own doing.
Conclusion: The believer should never waste a minute fretting about his enemies, but should look forward with the eye of faith, when he will see no reason to envy wicked people their short-lived prosperity. Those who make God their heart’s delight will have their heart’s desire and will be fully satisfied in Him.
Striking Facts: Come what may, the saints are safe in Christ Jesus and because He lives, they shall live also. As heirs with Him, heaven and eternity shall be theirs. Who would not be a Christian on such terms, in spite of all the oppression of the godless? Summarized Bible
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