—by Lois Lang

Psalm 37:1-8, 34...Fret not yourself because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not yourself, it leads only to evildoing. Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalm 37, a Psalm of David, gives a basic course in living a godly life. Here is a quick summary:

Trust in the Lord. (Good one to start with!)
Do good.
Cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord. (Another good one!)
Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in Him. (This must be important, for him to repeat it.)
Rest in the Lord.
Fret not yourself.
Cease from anger.
Fret not yourself. (Again!)
Wait for the Lord.
Keep His way.

And what is the result of following all the above directives? Verses 39 and 40 tell us. “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. And the Lord helps them, and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”

Lord, thank You for giving us ways to please You. And thank You for the reassurance that, no matter what is going on around us, You are ready and willing to handle it. All You ask is that we trust You and love You. That’s easy, Lord--You have proven Yourself trustworthy and entirely lovely. We praise You with mind, body, soul, and strength. We pray in the Name of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Amen.