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. Like morning fog or spring grass scorched by summer heat, the success of the wicked is temporary. Psalm 73 echoes this truth. Asaph confesses how he envied the arrogant until he entered the sanctuary of God and understood their end: “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!”

David points our hearts in the right direction, away from fretting. “Trust in the Lord and do good.” We need not be paralyzed by the success of the wicked. We can anchor our hearts in the character of God. Even when life feels unfair, God is still just and he is good. As Galatians 6:9 instructs us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Our job is not to fix the world or match evil tit for tat. We are called to trust and do good—right where we are.

The next bit of advice is to “dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” When life feels unjust, we may be tempted to withdraw—to retreat from our responsibilities, our relationships, or even our faith. But God calls us to remain in the land, the country of faith and duty, and bloom in the soil we’ve been given. Running away doesn’t solve the inner turmoil of envy and anxiety. Peace comes from faithfulness, not from escape.

Then comes perhaps one of the most often misunderstood verses in Scripture: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Some interpret this to mean that if we practice religion by going to church, and spend hours in devotion, God will give us all we’ve ever wanted. But the words read quite differently. For the one who knows the love of God, and delights in that love, God’s will is sweet and acceptable and perfect. Our desires conform to his will with ease. We long for whatever pleases him. And because we abide in him, our hearts and wills aligned with His, He gladly grants all our requests. It’s not about getting what the wicked have; it’s about being transformed into willing servants of his love.

David then continues: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Peace comes only in laying down our plans, reputations, and causes into God’s hands. The promise is not of immediate vindication but that it will come in God’s time. Then “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Just as the sun rises to banish the darkness, God will reveal the truth and honor the integrity of his servants.

David also counsels us to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Waiting isn’t passive—it’s an active choice to rest our hearts in God’s timing. David knew the pain of waiting. Though he was anointed king as a young man, it took many years—and much suffering—before he wore the crown. During that waiting period, he was hunted, humiliated, and misunderstood. But when Saul died, David didn’t celebrate, recount Saul’s evil deeds, or broadcast his own hardships. Instead, he composed a beautiful lament over Saul and Jonathan and taught it to the people of Israel. He mourned their deaths with dignity and grace, proving that his heart had been refined in the waiting.

Thus, waiting on God strips away bitterness and makes room for peace.

In verse 8, David warns us again: “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” Unchecked fretting leads to a hardened heart and reckless decisions, as with king Saul. His jealousy over David’s success consumed him. Rather than repenting of his insecurity and envy, instead of trusting and obeying God in repentance and faith, Saul tried to control and destroy. He ended up tormented, paranoid, and ultimately dead by his own hand.

But David—the one who waited, trusted, and refused to retaliate—was established by God. His kingdom endured, and his name became a symbol of the Messianic promise.

David concludes this section with the universal truth: “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Meekness is not weakness. It is the readiness to accept all things in our lives as part of God’s sovereign plans, without fretting or anxiety or hatred. It is the strength to persevere in godliness because of the faith that God is in control. The world tells us that bold, aggressive, and self-promoting people succeed. But God honors the humble. They inherit what truly matters: God’s peace, His presence, and His promises.

When we’re tempted to fret over the unfairness of life, let us remember David’s seasoned counsel. Trust in the Lord. Do good. Stay where God has planted you and be faithful. Delight in his love. Wait for His timing. Don’t let anger and jealousy take root—they will only produce bitter fruit.

In the end, it’s the meek—the trusting, faithful ones—who will inherit what lasts.

So when we see evil prospering, let us not fret. The story isn’t over. God is still writing it. And His ending is always good for those who trust in Him. God bless.