Psalms 37

I was reading Psalms 37:1-9 again today. Then I received an email from a great friend that said how much those same verses were ministering to him. Like lost, confused children, we all find ourselves wandering back to these same verses from time to time.

1 [a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

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.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

I can remember when my brother-in-law was falsely accused of fraud and extortion at the business he was working at. He reached out to these verses.

I can remember recommending these verses to men and women who spouses are falsely accusing them and wanting a divorce.

I can remember repeating them myself when I have had fingers falsely pointed at me. They are powerful, powerful, verses.

David, in this Psalms is being attacked by an evil person.

Here's some do's and don't when attacked.

Dont's:

1. Don't fret

In other words, "Don't get heated. Stay calm. Don't let your emotions overwhelm you."

That's easy for you to say, David!

2. Don't envy?

Why? Because evil people are like the grass on your front lawn during the month of August. They will soon wither and die away.

3. Don't be vengful.

When we are wronged we want to get even - don't we? Or am I the only one?

But the Lord says in verse 8, "refrain from anger and turn from wrath."

Do's:

1. Do trust in the Lord.

I can remember skydiving last year. It was in tandem with a professional. But even those he was a pro, there was still a huge element of trust in his ability to pull the ripcord at the right time.

David writes in verse 3, "trust in the Lord."

2. Do good.

Again in verse three.

We are to trust, and we are to do good. There is no period between the trust and the good. They are linked. It takes trust to continue to do good when we are falsely accused. Verbalizing faith in the Lord must be partnered with right actions.

3. Do delight yourself in the Lord.

Take great joy, not from the situation, but from the fact that God really does care for us, and he loves us, and here's a powerful thought, God likes us. I mean he really does.

When we stumble, he lifts us up so that we will not fall.

4. Do commit your way to the Lord.

Oswald Chambers said that we often attempt to think rather than obey our way out of confusion. I do what God asks, even though I might not think or know where it is leading me.

5. Do be still.

Wait. Oh, man, that's hard. Wait on God. God himself seems late from time to time. Wait, wait, wait.

And finally the best part, back in verse 6.

"And he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, thejusticee ofyoreu cause like the noonday sun."

Wow. The sun is the brightest at noon. God will take what you're going through and not only turn it around for good, but in the end, your righteousness will shine like the noonday sun!

May it be so.