It is only human to be envious of someone doing well. But when we realize they who do well amass their fortune through immoral means, we usually have two reactions. One is condemnation. The other is the continual craving to be successful like them. Or we can have a mixture of both reactions; we can be both envious and loathing at the same time. This psalm is speaking to any of us who are still envious.
Commentary:
Psalm 37:2. The California weather is like that in Israel. The spring rain turns the mountain green. But in less than four months of time, the grass will die off in the hot summer weather. The evildoers and wrongdoers also fade quickly like the grass in the summer.
Psalm 37:3. There are four specific actions that people of God will take to demonstrate their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4. Delight yourself in the LORD in 21st century has its contemporary meaning. Delight can mean to be entertained. We need to rejoice at our thought of God. Instead of movies or music, we would seek God’s word first. Instead of watching American Idol, we will go and worship God first.
Psalm 37:5. We will commit our way to God. That means our actions are determined by God’s desire. The desire of God is known through the word of God.
Psalm 37:7. The practice of rest can be challenging for people accustomed to busy schedule. But it is an essential practice of trust. The faith of knowing God as the ultimate provider needs to be enacted out through resting and waiting. God will accomplish His will in His timing.
Psalm 37:8. Trusting God is the ultimate judge means giving up on the right to avenge. Along with it, the emotional baggage should be let go as well. Holding onto unforgiveness leaves foothold for Satan to tempt and to accuse believers.
Psalm 37:9-19. Believers have to have the eternal view on our outlook. The evildoers will not triumph at the end. They will fail because God is against them. The righteous people will be blessed with inheritance and abundance.
Meditation:
The grass withers, and life is only awhile. Time is fleeting. Human ought to make good use of this life to prepare for the eternal.
Eternal preparation begins with the acceptance of the good news first. Jesus, the Son of God, had come to die on the cross for our sins. By believing that He resurrected from death and went to heaven, we can have eternal life, which begins the life of faith.
Faith must be accompanied by actions. The four specific actions listed in this psalm are steps of faith. Practice them in our life.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that we see the eternal perspective of life. We want to be more like Jesus and ask that you give us strength to act out our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.