“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
Psalm 37:1-5
David wrote Psalm 37 as an instruction manual and what great treasures we find in this Psalm. It was written to Jewish settlers who had moved into new land during David’s expansion of the kingdom of Israel. In this Psalm, you’ll find several commands that will hopefully encourage you – especially if you are facing tough times.
Do not fret (verse 1)
When something happens, our first reaction may be to worry or get anxious. The Hebrew word translated fret is charah, which means burned or distressed. To fret is to be concerned over something you have no ability to change. But David tells us three times in this Psalm, do not fret (1, 7, 8). When trouble strikes, we should immediately seek God and stand on His Word. You could even have several Bible verses that you write down and say out loud.
Trust in the Lord (verse 3)
When we trust in the Lord, we are believing in God’s reliability to come through. We make the choice to look at God’s character, His promises and His faithfulness and know that whatever we face – God is bigger and stronger. We can be confident and trust in Him.
Do good (verse 3)
When we make the choice to trust God, we are laying our worries, our anxieties, our problems at the feet of Jesus. Then, we can make the choice to do good because of our great love for the Lord. We serve Him. When we do good, it takes the focus off of ourselves and our problems.
Take delight in the Lord (verse 4)
To delight means we experience great pleasure and joy. When we spend time in God’s Word, we are encouraged and strengthened in Him.
Commit your way to the Lord (verse 5)
Commit means we entrust everything we have to the Lord. We give our plans, our hopes, our dreams, our future, our difficulties, our joys all to Him.
Maybe this week take some time to write out and memorize the verses of this precious Psalm. Make a commitment to say it out loud every day. When you memorize it and it sinks deep into your heart, watch how God will bless and encourage you.
Prayer: Father, thank You for all You do. You are good. You are faithful. We trust in You. Help us to keep our eyes focused on You. We place our fears, our worries, our problems, our anxieties all at Your feet. We cast our anxieties on You, knowing You care for us. Please strengthen us, guide us, as we commit everything to You. Thank You for helping us in Jesus’ name. Amen.
We hope this encourages you today! Don’t forget to memorize this Scripture. It’s a treasure. Please know we are praying for you that God will encourage and strengthen you.
-Christine Batchelder