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.