Part I, Our attitude toward life’s problems
Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret, it only causes harm. Psalm 37:1-8
Problems in life are a given. No one is going to get away from them. According to Psalm 37, the troubles that we may encounter in our walk with God include fretting, or worry (verse 1), envy (verse 2), mistrust, as implied in verses 3 and 5, impatience, as implied in verse 7, and anger and wrath combined with worry (verse 8).
It seems to me like the psalmist put these temptations at the beginning as if to say, “I’m bringing these to your attention so that you can watch for them and make good choices that will keep you from falling into them.”
If we know how to live our lives free from the power of worry, envy, or anger, we are well prepared to see justice and to receive a rich inheritance from the Lord. This doesn’t mean that we won’t ever feel them, but it does mean that we can live free from their power.
Psalm 37 uses the word inheritance and gives it the meaning of obtaining covenant privileges and the salvation of God.
The Israelites, who were the original audience, were in a covenant relationship with God. He’d made commitments to them of certain things he was going to do for them. Giving them land was one of those promises.
What does the concept of inheritance mean for us?
It’s about security, and it’s a security that isn’t rooted in the circumstances of life. Misfortune and scarcity may come, but they can’t steal the inheritance away. Throughout the psalm, clues are given to what kind of an inheritance this is.
Verse 4 mentions the desires of our hearts. Verse 5 says that when we commit our way to God, he will bring it to pass. Verse 6 mentions righteousness and justice. Verse 11 talks of peace. Verse 18 says that this inheritance is forever, without end. Verse 39 promises strength from God.
Who is the one who gets to inherit this “land of riches?”
Verse 9 in the New King James Version of the Bible that I quoted above uses the word wait. The NIV uses the word hope. Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Four more verses give us further clues to who the heirs are. Verse 11 says that the meek will inherit the earth. Verse 22 says that those blessed by God will inherit. Verse 29 says the righteous will inherit, and verse 34 says that if you hope in, or wait on, the Lord and keep his way, he will exalt you to inherit the land.
Our attitudes toward problems matter. Another psalm that also compares the tragedy of the wicked with the blessing of trusting God is Psalm 73. Verse 23 in that psalm shows the author saying to God, “I am continually with you. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward, receive me into glory.”
We have God always with us. He holds us by the hand. He guides us, counsels us, and receives us into glory.
Our attitudes toward problems matter because we have to remember that God is always with us, counseling, guiding, and ready to receive us in glory.
We have to frame up our problems in light of this. And then instead of envying or comparing, worrying or getting angry, we have to hope. If we want to inherit that land of desire, of righteousness and justice, of peace and strength, we have to wait on God.
Don’t try to live your life on your own. It may work for you for a while. You might get rich, have all kinds of friends, and live in an assumed safety. But the cost of amassing it all without God is too high to pay.
Your hope in him will save you, and it will promise you an inheritance that is more beautiful and satisfying than you could ever imagine.
