Psalms 37 - Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Psalms 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

A common temptation. Many of God's saints have suffered from it. Learn from their experience. Avoid this danger. There really is no power in it, when once the heart has come to rest in God. But it is a sad affliction until the heart does get its rest. «Fret not because of evildoers.»

Psalms 37:2-4. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD;

Make him thy delight, and take care that thou do really delight. Feel a fullness of joy in him.

Psalms 37:4. And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Because when the heart delights in God, then its desires are all such as God can safely grant. He does not say to every man, or even to every praying man, «I will give thee the desires of thine heart,» but «Delight thyself in the Lord,» and then he will.

Psalms 37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD;

Give it up to him to rule it, and to guide thee and lead thee in every step.

«Commit thy way unto the Lord.»

Psalms 37:5-6. Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

It is better to trust our character with God than with the ablest counselor. Scandal may pass over a fair name for a while and cloud it, but God is the avenger of all the righteous. There will be a resurrection of reputations, as well as of persons at the last great day. Only we must commit it to God.

Psalms 37:7-8. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

A fretful spirit soon comes to be an angry spirit, and when we begin to be jealous of evildoers, we are very apt to become evildoers ourselves. Many an honest man has snatched at hasty gain, because he was envious of the prosperity of the unrighteous; and then he has pierced himself through with many sorrows in consequence. But «fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.» There is an old proverb that it is hard for an empty sack to stand upright. Therefore, when you are in temporal trouble, ask the Lord to fill you with his grace, for then you will stand upright, and by-and-by you shall be delivered.

Psalms 37:9. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

If there is anything good to be had here, men that wait upon God shall have it. If there is any grain of wheat amidst these heaps of chaff, believers that are trusting the Lord shall find them.

Psalms 37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:

How transient are their joys! Their wealth which they accumulate, the beauty which they think is upon their estate, all this is but as the painted colors of the bubble, which is scarcely seen before it vanishes. Wilt thou envy this? Wilt thou envy a little child his play-toys, which will be broken in an hour? Wilt thou envy a madman the straw crown which he plaits and puts upon his head when he thinks himself a king? Oh! be not so foolish. Thine inheritance is eternal, and thou art immortal. Why shouldest thou envy the creature of an hour? «For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be.»

Psalms 37:10. Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place,

His mansion, his house, the grand figure that he cut in society.

This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 73:1; Psalms 37:1-10.

Let us read tonight part of the thirty-seventh Psalm. David here first of all dissuades himself and us from falling into a very common evil, that of envying the wicked because of their prosperity, and murmuring against God because we, perhaps, are not so highly favored in our earthly affairs.

Psalms 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of inequity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

No one envies the grass, let it be never so green; no one envies flowers, let them be never so fragrant, for we know that grass must be cut, and that flowers must wither. Let us look upon the wicked in the same light; their time of perishing shall soon come, their end hasteth on apace; therefore, let all envying be out of the question, since they are such short-lived beings.

Psalms 37:3. Trust in the LORD, and do good;

There you have the secret of the active life of the Christian. The root of his activity lies in his faith: «Trust in the Lord.» The outward manifestation of his inner life is in the good that he does; and where there is this faith, proved to be living faith by good works, there follows the promise,

Psalms 37:3. So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

It does not say, «Young man, verily thou shalt prosper in business.» It does not say, «O ambitious man, thou shalt dwell in a palace, or revel in luxuries, «but it does say to thee, O humble-minded Christian, trusting in God, «Verily thou shalt be fed.» You know, when the word «Verily» is used, there is something upon which God sets his seal as being true: «Verily thou shalt be fed.» God's «Verilys» are better than men's oaths. Believe, then, Christians and let there be no more fretting about your temporal trials. I know you have come in here tonight very anxious, and vexed with care and grief; take this «Verily», and lay it, like Isaiah's lump of figs, upon the boil, and «Verily» you shall soon be healed.

Psalms 37:4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Delight is a Christian's duty. To sorrow, to mourn, to despair, these belong not to the believer: «Delight thyself in the Lord.» Here is a river to swim in, Christians, plunge into it. Here is a bottomless abyss of delights, the person, the grace, the works, the attributes of our covenant God; and here is a promise given to each one of those who carry on this excellent duty, «He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.»

Psalms 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Put the helm of your ship into the hand of the Almighty Pilot. Leave the guidance of your pilgrimage to him who has led many caravans across the desert aforetime, and who has never suffered any to perish. What an easy way this is; and yet how hard do we find it to carry it out! It is to unload ourselves, and put our burden on our God. Oh, that we had the sanctified common-sense to make us fulfill this duty!

Psalms 37:6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Leave your character with God; it is safe there. Men may throw mud at it, but it will never stick long on a true believer; it shall soon come off, and you shall be the more glorious for men's slander.

Psalms 37:7-11. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way; because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

This is now a gospel blessing, for Christ pronounced it upon the mount among his other benedictions: «Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.» Somehow or other, the only persons who truly enjoy life, and get happiness out of this present vale of tears, are the meek spirits, the men who can say, «Mine are the valleys, and the mountains mine; my father made them all.» Even the possessions of other men make these people glad. They are like the man we have heard of in China, who met a mandarin covered with jewels, and, bowing to him, said, «Thank you for those jewels.» Doing this many times, at last the mandarin asked the cause of his gratitude. «Well,» said the poor but wise man, «I thank you that you have those jewels, for I have as good a sight of them as you have; but I have not the trouble of wearing them, putting them on in the morning, taking them off at night, and having a watchman keeping guard over them when I am asleep. I thank you for them; they are as much use to me as they are to you.» This meek man can walk along the broad acres of a rich man's farm, he can see his noble oaks and other forest trees, and he can say, «Thank God for them all! I have as much enjoyment from these as the rich man himself has, for they are mine to enjoy as truly as they are his.» «The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace, «not in the abundance of wealth, but in the abundance of peace. To a meek man, peace is his wealth, and holy quietness and calm his true riches.

Psalms 37:12-18. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the way of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

He knows their dark days, and he will be their light; he knows their sunny days, and he will be their shelter; he knows their last day, and he will be their confidence; he knows their resurrection-day, and he will be their glory: «Their inheritance shall be for ever.»

«Go, you that boast in all your stores,

And tell how bright they shine;

Your heaps of glittering dust are yours,

But my Redeemer's mine.»

It may be, beloved friends, that there is a word of comfort for some of you in this «Psalm of David.» If any of you have been perplexed and worried, and there has been a stern conflict within your spirit, here are some cheering words which will bring a message from God to you.It may be worth your while to remember that the 37 th Psalm and the 73 rd are upon the same subject. They are the same figures reversed, but they both deal with the great mystery which has vexed the hearts of godly men in all generations.

Psalms 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

What a contrast there is between the grass before the mower comes with his scythe, and that same grass when it is cut down; and there is the same kind of difference between the glory of ungodly men at one moment and their destruction the next. How beautiful the fertile mead appears before you with its many-colored flowers, yet in how short a time all its beauties are cut down, and withered in the sun!

Psalms 37:3-4. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

The psalmist begins with «Fret not thyself,... neither be thou envious;» but he advances to something higher. He seeks to lead his hearer or reader up to «trust in the Lord,» and then still further up to «delight in the Lord.» A Christian should constantly be on the rising scale; though he is ever in the way of change, it should be a change for the better. Take care, dear friends, that you are people of simple trust: «Trust in the Lord;» and then you shall advance to delight in him: «Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.»

Psalms 37:5-6. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

It may be very dark with you just now, but God will turn your midnight into noonday. It is only he who can do it, therefore be sure to commit your way unto him; «trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.»

Psalms 37:7. Rest in the LORD,

Not only rest on him, but rest in him, get into such close fellowship with him that you do really «rest in the Lord,»

Psalms 37:7-8. And wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

It is fretting that leads to anger and all manner of evil; but when the heart truly rests in God, it forsakes wrath. When we get away from resting in the Lord, we soon drift out upon a very stormy sea, where our poor little skiffs are not able to hold their own; therefore is it most needful for us to obey the injunction, «Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.»

Psalms 37:9-10. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

The very house he inhabited, the grand estate which he called his own, shall be called by the name of another owner, and he shall be blotted out of remembrance.

Psalms 37:11-15. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

They were so eager «to cast down the poor and needy» that they used both sword and bow against them, yet they could not succeed in their evil designs; for God took care of his own people, and therefore the psalmist was able to say concerning their enemies, «Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.»

Psalms 37:16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

«Many wicked.» That is a strong expression; the psalmist does not merely mention the riches of one wicked man, but he says, «A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.»

Psalms 37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

He keeps on upholding them. He holds them up, and in another sense he lifts them up on high, and holds them up near to himself in the glorious sunshine of fellowship with him.

Psalms 37:18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:

He is well acquainted with their bright days and their dark days. He keeps a diary of all their ever-changing experiences: «The Lord knoweth the days of the upright»:

Psalms 37:18. And their inheritance shall be for ever.

There is a necessity upon covenant blessings, which ensures their enjoyment by all the chosen seed, and they shall never be taken from them: «Their inheritance shall be for ever.»

Psalms 37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

They shall not only get, as we say, «a sup and a bite,» but «they shall be satisfied,» and that even «in the days of famine,» when other people starve. They are well fed whom God feeds; there is no table like the one furnished and supplied by Omnipotence. He who is infinite in resources can readily supply all our necessities.

Psalms 37:20-21. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.

He prefers to do that rather than to lend; it generally comes to the same thing in the long run, and he may as well know from the first what he is really doing: «The righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.»

Psalms 37:22-23. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

What a beautiful expression that is, «the steps of a good man» the very steps, the little things, the daily actions, the ordinary progress of a good man, «The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.» Our way is sometimes rough, but if God takes a delight in it, it must be right. It is a joy to us to know that the lives of godly men are delightful to the Most High.

Psalms 37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

There may be a stumble, or even a fall, and he will grieve over it; he may suffer great losses, and he may think that there is an end to his mercies, but it shall not be so. God's servants are like the sheep; they may fall many times, but they are soon up again. Hypocrites are like the swine; when they fall, they wallow in the mire, which is their congenial element.

Psalms 37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

David had not seen the seed of the righteous begging bread, but we have often seen it; for, when the seed of the righteous do not behave themselves aright, they have to suffer poverty as well as other people. But, under the old covenant, David could truly say that he had not seen this grievous sight. Yet many of us could go as far as David did in the first part of the verse: «I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.» No, that shall never be the case; and it is a very singular circumstance, which they who have to distribute charity have often noticed, how seldom, comparatively, do they find godly people very greatly reduced. Somehow or other, God does provide for them. The trouble we have with our Orphanages is to find the orphans of godly men and women, for they are very few compared with those of other people, You may look over any list you like, and you shall find that very seldom are the saints reduced to absolute poverty. Yet, when poverty does come, and it does come to some of the very best of men and women, then God blesses it to them, and bears them up beneath it, so that they do not really lack any good thing. As for the gracious man,

Psalms 37:26-37. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

When you come to sum up the whole of his life, the total of it amounts to this, «peace.» After all his varied experiences, God did give him rest; and with all the turmoil and tossing which came upon him occasionally, still he was a man to be envied. It is the end to which we must always look, after all; and concerning the perfect and upright man the psalmist says, «the end of that man is peace.»

Psalms 37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:

It is not the result of their own goodness or merit; but it is wholly «of the Lord.» Righteous men are saved men because the Lord saves them by his grace, and that is where they put their confidence.

Psalms 37:39. He is their strength in the time of trouble.

Dwell on that sweet short sentence. Not only does the Lord give them strength, but he himself «is their strength in the time of trouble.» He is so near to his people that all the omnipotence of his Godhead is theirs. Are you in trouble just now, dear child of God? Well, you have strength enough to carry you through it all if this be true, as it is «He is their strength in the time of trouble.» If God himself is your strength, do not talk about being weak; of course you are weakness itself apart from him, do not expect to be anything other than that; but then remember the psalmist's declaration, «He is their strength in the time of trouble.»

Psalms 37:40. And the LORD shall help them,

Do you want anything more than this great promise? You have a heavy load to carry, but it is nothing to him who is omnipotent: «The Lord shall help them,»

Psalms 37:40. And deliver them:

He shall help them while they are in the trouble, and bring them out of it in due time.

Psalms 37:40. He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

O dear friends, lean hard upon God! Lay down all your burdens at your Saviour's feet, and rest there in holy and happy confidence in him. May the Lord give to all of us the grace to enjoy this sweet rest, for his dear Son's sake. Amen.

This is one of the Psalms of David which have often cheered the saints of God when they have been perplexed because of the prosperity of the wicked and their own troubles.

Psalms 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

What if their lot be sweet? Yet consider how short it is. No wise man envies the bullock which is being fattened, for he knows that it is being fattened for the slaughter. None will envy the ungodly their pleasures when they remember how transient they must be. Let them have them and I would urge all Christians to do their best to make the ungodly happy. This is the only happy time they can ever have unless they repent, and turn to the Lord so do not make them unhappy, but contribute all you can to the little bliss they ever will know, for it will soon be over. Certainly, if you are a child of God, you have no chance to envy them.

Psalms 37:3-4. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee like desires of thine heart.

Here is a duty which is as much a pleasure as it is a duty, nay, it is even more a pleasure than a duty: «Delight thyself also in the Lord.» Here is a commandment to be happy in the safest conceivable way. Of all delights, the most delicious is delight in God, and to this we are commended. But what a privilege is that which is annexed to it: «He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.» Why is this? Because, when you delight in God, your desires will be such as he can safely grant. Delighting in him, you will only desire that which is for this glory; and then, without any restrictions he may promise to you, and give to you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD;

Blindly, yet believingly, put your hand into his hand, and follow wherever he may lead you.

Psalms 37:5-7. Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD,

Oh, what sweet precepts these are! easier to read and to hear than they are to practice; yet, if grace be given to us, we shall find them blessedly easy to practice. Surely, if it is easy to rest anywhere, it must be easy to «rest in the Lord.» There is no such resting place anywhere else, like that where omnipotence and eternal love are sweetly joined together: «Rest in the Lord,»

Psalms 37:7-9. And wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

I do believe that, in a right sense, the child of God does get the best of both worlds. He may not get, in this world, what ungodly men think the best; and as far as worldly good is concerned, he often gets the worst there; but God makes his dinner of herbs to be sweeter to him than the stalled ox is to the wicked. If I knew that I should die like a dog, I would still wish to be a Christian. If there were no hereafter, no world to come, and even if my lot, judged after the manner of men, should be of all men's most miserable, yet, to have had God to be my Friend here would have turned even that misery into happiness.

«O God of love, how blest are they Who in thy ways delight!

Thy presence guides them all the day And cheers them all the night.»

Psalms 37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

How often even the place where he lived his house, becomes a ruin. The very palace where the tyrant dwelt is burnt down, or destroyed in some other way.

Psalms 37:11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

There is a great fulfillment of that prophecy yet to come in the latter days, but it is fulfilled even now. Who does not see that the man who really enjoys life, and enjoys the world, is, after all, the meek, humble-minded Christian man? That shepherd of Salisbury Plain, of whom we used to read in our childhood, when he was asked what he thought of the weather, said it was good weather, for God sent it; and any sort of weather pleased him if it pleased God. Anybody can see that a man of that kind is in a healthy state, and that he inherits the earth, and possesses far more of what is worth having namely, ease and peace of mind, than the owner of broad acres who has no true rest of heart in the Lord.

Psalms 37:12-19. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall he broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Let me read that nineteenth verse again, so that any child of God here, who is in great straits, may be able to lay hold upon it: «They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.»

Psalms 37:20-25. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

We have often remarked here that we also, though we are not old, have never seen the righteous forsaken, and we do not think that the oldest man or woman here has ever seen the righteous forsaken. David says that he had not seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. Well, he was a king, so he was not likely to see very many poor people; but we have several times seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. It is not a common thing, but we have seen it; and when the seed of the righteous misbehave themselves, when they disgrace their father's name, they will have to beg bread the same as other people's children do. They will come to poverty through idleness and drink just as other people do. And it has been my unhappy lot, within these very walls, to have to minister relief to the unworthy and reprobate sons of Christian ministers, about whose piety I could entertain no doubt, and some of whom, are now in heaven. These good men's children have walked contrary to God, so God has walked contrary to them. I have often hoped that the poverty I saw might be the means of bringing them to seek the God of their fathers! You, who fear the Lord may depend upon this, if the Lord helps you to train up your children aright, he will take care of them. If they are truly the seed of the righteous by being themselves righteous, your children shall not beg bread, for the Lord will provide for them; and you will find that God always takes care of the children of those who faithfully serve him. He seems to say to then, «You mind my business, and I will mind your business. If you look after my children, I will look after yours.» If we serve the Lord with all our hearts, we may fairly reckon that the God of the fathers will be the God of the children.

Psalms 37:26-40. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them; and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Psalms 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

They often seem to have the best of it in this life; but if it really is so, we must never forget that there is another life after this, in which there will be no reason for the righteous to be envious of evildoers and workers of iniquity.

Psalms 37:2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

It is very easy to cut down the grass with a sharp scythe; and when death takes down his scythe, and cuts down men as the mower cuts down the grass of the field, they fall, rank upon rank, to «wither as the green herb.»

Psalms 37:3. Trust in the LORD, and do good;

These are two good things to go together, faith and good works: «Trust in the Lord, and do good;»

Psalms 37:3. So shalt thou dwell in the land,

Not merely on earth, but in the land of promise, the land which God has promised to his people. We dwell there by faith even now. Everywhere we find our God; and wherever we find him, it is Emmanuel's land to us.

Psalms 37:3 And verily thou shalt be fed.

«Verily, verily,» is Christ's most solemn affirmation. David here says «verily» because the statement he makes is absolutely true: «Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.»

Psalms 37:4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

When all thine heart's desires are fixed upon him because he is thine heart's delight, then thou mayest give a loose rein to those desires without any fear that they will run away. When thine heart's desires are of this sort, thou shalt have them, be they what they may. It is not every man who shall have the desires of his heart given to him, but only that man whose heart's delight is in his God. There is much in connection with the person praying which will help to decide whether he shall or shall not have his desires granted. What is the condition of the heart out of which the desires come? When the heart is full of delight in the Lord, its desires shall be pleasing in his sight, and shall be granted.

Psalms 37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD;

You who are just now in trouble, you who are walking in a rough way, commit that trouble and that way to the Lord. You who are in difficulty as to what is your right way, commit that difficulty to the Lord. Then, of course, you will not need to keep it yourself, nor to trouble your own head about it. It does not need two to «care» when God is one of the two, so cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you. His grace is amply sufficient for every emergency that can possibly arise, so «commit thy way unto the Lord.» You have committed your soul to him; then you can surely commit your business to him, for that is a far inferior thing to your immortal soul.

Psalms 37:5. Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Thy desire shall be brought to pass. Thy safety shall be brought to pass. Thine everlasting advantage shall be brought to pass. Thy way shall be made passable to thee; thou shalt find thy way to heaven.

Psalms 37:6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Are you misunderstood, misrepresented, slandered, calumniated? Leave it all with your God. Are you now walking in darkness? Trust in him, and he will bring you out into the light in due time. We do not have morning light in the evening; morning light comes when the morning comes, and your deliverance shall come when it is the right time for you to have it.

Psalms 37:7. Rest in the LORD,

That is a blessed state to reach. Notice the various stages that the psalmist has mentioned. There was first, «Trust and do.» Then there was «Delight and have.» Then there was «Commit, and have it brought to pass;» and now there is «Rest in the Lord,»

Psalms 37:7-8. And wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger,

That comes of fretting, and of being in a hurry, and not resting and being patient; for when the mind is restful, we can bear injuries: «Cease from anger,»

Psalms 37:8. And forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Very often, our proverb is true, «The more haste, the less speed;» and he who is in a hurry often does evil under the notion that it is the shortest way to get good, which it never is, for evil brings forth evil, and that perpetually.

Psalms 37:9-10. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

The very place wherein he stood so high has utterly perished. How many instances there have been of men who have taken great pains to perpetuate their own names, yet their names are forgotten in the very place where they dwelt. God has a way of stamping out evil, and putting an end to it; and when there has been great wickedness in the land, he knows how to make the very name of the wicked to rot.

Psalms 37:11-13. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

«His day is coming,» and what a day it will be! When the day of the wicked shall come, the day of God's righteous vengeance, woe unto him; woe unto him!

Psalms 37:14-16. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Not of one wicked man only, but of «many wicked.» Fortunes heaped upon fortunes as the result of evil-doing cannot equal the portion of the poorest of God's saints. A little with a blessing resting upon it is vastly better than much accompanied by a curse.

Psalms 37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

They would soon fall if they were not upheld; but they shall not fall, for God will make them to stand.

Psalms 37:18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:

He knows our dark days and our bright days, and all our days that are yet to be as well as all our days that have been. The Lord knows all about all our days.

Psalms 37:18. And their inheritance shall be for ever.

What they have, if it be really worth having, they shall keep for ever. What God has given them in Christ, because they are his children, shall never be taken away from them, nor shall they be taken away from it: «their inheritance shall be for ever.» Men try to entail their estates, but it is often an unsatisfactory system. Our estates are entailed by God; upon the inheritance of every one of his people there is an inalienable entail.

Psalms 37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:

If any shall say to them, «How is it that you are a child of God, and yet you live in such an evil time?» they shall not be ashamed, but they will have an answer ready for them. They will tell them that many righteous men have lived in evil times, but they themselves have not been evil because of that. Where should bright lights be but in a dark place: Where should the salt be but where everything is going to corruption? «They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,» for their God will be their God still; and though everyone else may fail them, their God will not fail them.

Psalms 37:19-23. And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut of. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

Oh, what comfort there is in this blessed assurance! Sometimes we know not which way to move, but we need not lack divine guidance, for there is a special providence which watches over every step of a gracious man. When we are right with God, everything is right with us. If our heart's desire is that we may walk in God's way, then God will take care that the way of his providence shall be made plain to us, and shall be full of love to us.

Psalms 37:23. And he delighteth in his way.

God delights to watch the way that his children walk, even though their steps may falter and totter, for they are often like little children learning to walk, and usually they are very weak and feeble. Yet, if it is a good man who is walking as he should walk, God «delighteth in his way.»

Psalms 37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

He is like a little child who does not yet know how to stand alone, so his mother or nurse holds him up, or picks him up if he falls. God's arms are under his children's arms, as he says by the mouth of the prophet Hosea, «I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.» This is how he teaches us also to go, in wondrous condescension taking us by our arms.

Psalms 37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

I have been young, and though I am not yet old, I can truly say that I have never seen the righteous forsaken. I have, however, seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. David never saw that sad sight, but then he was a king, so he was not likely to see so many beggars as some of us do; yet, still as a general rule, it remains true that the God of the fathers does provide for their children. Of course, if the seed of the righteous become vicious and profligate, as they sometimes do, drunkenness will clothe them with rags and set them among the beggars of the street just as it would if they were the children of ungodly parents; and it may be mercy on the part of God that it should be so, as it was in the case of the prodigal, who never came to himself until he was in want, and his begging of bread was a blessing to him, for it brought him at last to beg to be received again into his father's household. Still, there are blessings that are meant for us and for our seed also, as Paul and Silas said to the jailor at Philippi, «Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.»

Psalms 37:26-27. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil,

Do not remain near it, do not even look at it, do not parley with it; run away from it: «Depart from evil,»

Psalms 37:27. And do good;

For you must do something, either good or evil. If you became an idler, even though you had departed from evil, you would not have become what God would have you to be. Negatives must be backed up with positives: «Depart from evil, and do good;»

Psalms 37:27-28. And dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

Not, of course, if they themselves become righteous, for then they come under the covenant of grace, and shall never be cut off.

Psalms 37:29-37. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

He does not wither and vanish, like a gourd of the night. He passeth not away like that phantom baytree which seemed so substantial, but really was not. His end is peace, and «all is well that ends well,» so all is well with him, and blessed is that man's life which cometh to such a blessed conclusion as this: «the end of that man is peace.»

Psalms 37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:

That is why they are not cut off like the wicked, because God's salvation is in them. They would pass away, they would be but the mere dream and phantom that the prosperous wicked ones are; but God himself is in them, and therefore are they solid and substantial, and their salvation is an everlasting salvation.

Psalms 37:39-40 He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

That is the main point: «they trust in him.» One of the descriptions of Abraham is this, «Abraham believed God,» and therefore he had God for his shield and his exceeding great reward. Are you trusting in God dear friends? Are you living a life of faith? Then the walk of faith will be followed, in due time, by the triumph of faith. Blessed are all they that put their trust in the Lord, and blessed for ever shall they be.

May the Spirit of God graciously apply this Psalm to our hearts, comforting us as no one else can! Is he not the Comforter, and what better cordial has he for our spirits than his own Word?

Psalms 37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Evil cannot last. It is a feeble plant, like the grass and weeds which the mower's scythe soon cuts down, and leaves to wither in the blazing sunshine.

Psalms 37:3-4. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

This is a most precious verse, its sweetness who can tell? Do not think first of the desires of thy heart, but think first of delighting thyself in thy God. If thou hast accepted him as thy Lord, he is thine; so delight in him, and then he will give thee the desires of thy heart.

Psalms 37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Give it over into God's hands, and then confide in him as completely as a little child confides in its mother. «He shall bring it to pass.» It is quite certain that you cannot «bring it to pass,» so you will be wise if you leave it with him who can do what you cannot.

Psalms 37:6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Thou canst not make the light and the noonday; that is a work that is far beyond thy power; but thy God can give thee both light and noonday. He can clear thy character from any slander that may have befouled it, and he can crown thee with honour and glory in place of the contempt that is now cast upon thee.

Psalms 37:7. Rest in the LORD,-

That is the sweetest word of all: «Rest.» Go no further. Fret no more. Bear thy burdens no longer. Make this day a Sabbath to thy soul: «Rest in the Lord,»-And wait patiently for him:-Do not be in a hurry. The Lord has infinite leisure, so partake of it as far as thou canst: «Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:»-

Psalms 37:7-8. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger,-

You cannot do that unless you «rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.» Angry passions fail upon the fire of fretfulness; therefore, «cease from anger,»-

Psalms 37:8-9. And forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Their turn will come in due time. It comes last, but then it comes to last, for there is nothing to come after the last.

Psalms 37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

The house in which he lived, or the place that was called by his name, is often destroyed.

Psalms 37:11-12 , But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. ‘The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.-

That has been the style of things from the beginning, and the old serpent's seed will be like the old serpent, and he «was more subtle than any beast of the field.» «The wicked plotteth against the just,»-He plots against the Lord's people, but--

Psalms 37:13-18. The Lord shall laugh at him,»For he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdest the righteous. The LORD knoweth the day of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

He gives them an eternal portion by an everlasting covenant.

Psalms 37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

There is nothing that they can get, but God will give them what they cannot get themselves. He will ransack heaven and earth to find food for his people: «In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.»

Psalms 37:20-23. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth, and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:-Even his «steps»-the little movements of his life,-not only his «rest plans and his ambitious projects, but «the steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah;»-

Psalms 37:23. And he delighteth in his way.

He loves to see him walk, even as parents delight to watch the first tottering steps of their little children, so that he, who «taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man,» taketh pleasure in the ways of his people.

Psalms 37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:-

For a while, it may seem as if he had been finally defeated; things may seem to go altogether wrong with him; but, «though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;»-

Psalms 37:24-25. For the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

And we also can still speak of the faithfulness of Jehovah. He who took care of his people in David's day has not changed since then. We have not seen the righteous forsaken.

Psalms 37:26. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

God has a special regard for the children of believers. Grace does not run in the blood, but it often runs side by side with it. The God of Abraham is the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the God of Joseph, and the God of Manasseh and Ephraim.

Psalms 37:27-29. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints;they are preserved for ever:but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

I have frequently remarked to you that, although the wolf is very strong and fierce, and the sheep is very weak and timid, yet there are more sheep in the world than there are wolves; and the day will come when the last wolf will be dead, and then the sheep shall cover the plains and feed upon the hills. Weak as the righteous often are, they «shall inherit the land» when the wicked shall have been out off from the earth.

Psalms 37:30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

That which is down in the heart will come up into the mouth, and you may rest assured that men are fairly judged by the common current of their conversation.

Psalms 37:31-33. The law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

How dreadful it would be for the godly man if the Lord were to leave him in the hand of the wicked! You remember how David sought to avoid that calamity when he had to choose famine, pestilence, or the sword of his enemies. «Let me fall,» said he «into the hand of the Lord, for very great are his mercies; but let me not fall into the hand of man.» Let us thank God that, even if we should get into the hand of the ungodly, the Lord will not leave us there, nor condemn us when we are judged.

Psalms 37:34-37. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

There is no end to that man, for he is to endure world without end. In any sense in which there is an end to him, his end is everlasting peace

Psalms 37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

Have you not proved it so, dear brethren and sisters in Christ? I know that you have had times of trouble, but has not God been your strength in a very peculiar way in all such times?

Psalms 37:40. And the LORD shall help them,-

He is and he shall ever be their Helper: «The Lord shall help them,»-

Psalms 37:40. And deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

That is the point,-not because of any merit of theirs, nor because of any skill of theirs, but «he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.» So, Lord, help us to trust in thee! Amen

Psalms 37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

They must stand, therefore, for how shall he fall whom God upholds?

Psalms 37:18-19. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

These are bad times now. Everyone complains, and indeed there seems to be abundant cause, for distress is universal. But let us fall back on the promise. «In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.»

Psalms 37:20-23. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

There is a mutual delight, you see. If we delight in God, God delights in us. He delights in the conduct of his people. When they walk with him, he takes pleasure in every step that they take. What say you, brothers and sisters? Have you tried to live today so that God may take pleasure in you He cannot do it if we have lived carelessly, or fruitlessly, or selfishly. But when we live to him, then the Lord delights in our way.

Psalms 37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Just going to fall, but in came the interposing hand. Grace catches us up when sin would throw us down.

Psalms 37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

It was so unusual a thing that David had never seen, it. I have several times seen the seed of the righteous begging bread, but in every case it has been because of their drunkenness or their laziness, or because of their own vice which they brought upon themselves. But, as a rule, takes care of the children of his children. He does not suffer them to want. They may be brought into great straits, but he will not permit them to come to beggary.

Psalms 37:26-29. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are perserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

There is a grand time coming (oh! that God would hasten it!) when truth and righteousness shall rule the earth, and then shall the godly have their portion. At the present time:

«Every prospect Pleases,

And only man is vile «;

But the day shall come when the vile person shall cease from off the earth, and the saints shall trove the kingdom.

Psalms 37:30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

You may often judge a man by his mouth. The physician looks at the tongue to see how the man is; and so is a righteous man known by his mouth and his tongue, for he talks of judgment.

Psalms 37:31-40. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut of, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright. For the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut of. But the salvation of the righeous is of the.LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.