July-16-0469-A heart at rest when life feels unfair
469_A heart at rest when life feels unfair Psalm 37:1-11 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. 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. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. Corrie Ten Boom, the Dutch Christian who risked her life to hide Jews during World War II, once said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” She had every reason to worry, fear, and fret. Her family was imprisoned, her beloved sister died in a concentration camp, and her future seemed uncertain. Yet Corrie clung to faith and hope rather than anxiety and bitterness. Her life, filled with pain and loss, became a testimony of trust in God’s sovereign goodness. Psalm 37, particularly verses 1 through 11, is a heartfelt counsel from David, written in his senior years. In verse 25, he reflects, “I have been young, and now am old,” indicating a lifetime of observation, pain, and growth. Rather than being directed to God in praise, it offers the ultimate wisdom on meekness - how to respond when life seems unjust. David knew what it meant to be wronged. He knew the sting of betrayal and the anguish of waiting on God while evil people appeared to prosper, from Saul to Absalom. Though David refused to raise his hand against his king, he was oppressed by the weight of injustice. At one point he even despaired, saying, “One day I will perish at the hand of Saul.” (1 Samuel 27:1) But this psalm reveals the distilled wisdom of those long, hard years—not just lofty ideals, but proven truth, tested in the fires of trial. He begins: “Do not fret because of evildoers.” Fretting isn’t simply about worry; it includes irritation, envy, and simmering anger. It is that inward churning when we see the wicked flourish while we struggle to stay afloat. David not only commands, but gives a reason: “For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” Evil is far less permanent than righteousness. It may seem to flourish but it has no root, and soon withers.