Psalm 37:35-40 “I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil. But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The LORD helps them and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him.”

Generally, if the Israelites followed God as individuals or a nation, they could expect to reap rewards. However, that wasn’t always the case. God did promise blessings for His people, but those blessings were usually tied to their obedience. In addition, sometimes bad things happened to good people and bad people experienced prosperity. The issue of the prosperity of the unrighteous has always been recognized in Scripture. Here we’re reminded that, no matter what happens in life, death comes to all, and only the righteous are promised salvation and a future.

For additional worship: Beyond the Sunset

Psalm 37:30-34 “The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watch the righteous, and seek to kill him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait for the LORD, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.”

God’s people should love His Word so much that they marinate in it until it seeps out of every pore! Then our words will be filled with wisdom and righteousness, and we will follow God with our lives.

Proverbs 15:2 “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools gush out folly.”

Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

The “land” we inherit is future. While there are many blessings we experience in life when we follow God, the blessing of a physical kingdom comes later.

Isaiah 62:4 “You will not be called Forsaken any more, nor will your land be called Desolate any more; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD delights in you, and your land will be married.”

For additional worship: Beulah Land (Casting Crowns)

Psalm 37:22-29 “For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off. A man’s steps are established by the LORD. He delights in his way. Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for the LORD holds him up with his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread. All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His offspring is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good. Live securely forever. For the LORD loves justice, and doesn’t forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.”

We have been blessed by God through Jesus Christ. When we know Him we have a present and future inheritance. When we follow Him we are more likely to have good lives, filled with honor and favor, because even the act of following God means that we’ll end up in less trouble! However, even the trouble we do experience is nothing compared to the hope that we have for the future.

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed towards us.”

So, how do we live? We depart from evil, we follow God, we do good, and we experience and look forward to God’s blessing in our lives!

For additional worship: How Firm a Foundation (Reawaken Hymns)

Psalm 37:14-21 “The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright on the path. Their sword shall enter into their own heart. Their bows shall be broken. Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of the LORD shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish— vanish like smoke. The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously.”

We need to understand the end from the beginning to believe that righteousness is better than wickedness. Wickedness will always be punished, but that punishment will happen in God’s timing. If it seems like they have an abundance now we need to understand that’s all they’ll get! Being righteous means having an eternal inheritance and an eternal reward. It means not being infatuated with the earthly and material. It means being so satisfied with the little we have that we are willing to share it with others.

For additional worship: Leave it There (Bradley Walker)

Psalm 37:8-13 “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn’t there. But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.”

Remember: ungodly anger and wrath lead to unrighteousness. We need to avoid them at all costs.

Matthew 5:22 “But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgement. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.”

Ephesians 4:26 “‘Be angry, and don’t sin.’ Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.”

Romans 12:19-21 “Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.’ Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Matthew 5:3-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

For additional worship: Give to the Winds thy Fears

Psalm 37:1-7 “By David. Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture. Also 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 this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.”

What is the cure for anxiety and envy? If you commit your way to the Lord, delight in Him, and trust in Him, then His desires will become your desires. You will obey because you want to. You will continue to do good as you rest in Him. And you won’t be envious of the unrighteous, because you know what their ultimate end will be, and you’re willing to wait patiently for God’s ultimate judgement.

For additional worship: Trusting Jesus (Weekly Hymn Project)

Psalm 36:5-12 “Your loving kindness, LORD, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgements are like a great deep. LORD, you preserve man and animal. How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light. Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.”

God is faithful. God is loving. God is deep. God is life! He is where we go to find refuge and protection. He is the only real source of joy and pleasure. In His light, we see light! We should join David in praise and ask God to protect us from both the wicked and our own wicked thoughts, because both can drive us away from Him. Thank God one day the wicked will be punished and we will drink from the river of God’s pleasures always and forever.

For additional worship: Your Love, Oh Lord (Third Day)

Psalm 36:1-4 “For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of the LORD. A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.”

Because of David’s revelation we see how the righteous should behave. We should revere God. We should be humble. We should be circumspect. We should speak the truth. We should be wise and do good. We should think about good things and make righteous plans when we are on our beds. And finally, we should hate evil.

For additional worship: Living for Jesus a Life that is True

Psalm 35:23-28 “Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me! Vindicate me, LORD my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me. Don’t let them say in their heart, ‘Aha! That’s the way we want it!’ Don’t let them say, ‘We have swallowed him up!’ Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me. Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, ‘May The LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!’ My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.”

First of all, can you imagine having the temerity to yell at God to wake up? Perhaps this is simply because David knew God was going to act because of His promises. While I wouldn’t suggest it as a standard way to pray, God also knows what is in our hearts. I think it’s better to be honest with Him instead of pretending to be filled with faith when we are angry and impatient.

Second, we should be joyful when we see how God works in someone else’s life and magnify His name! There may be times when we are tempted to be jealous because God isn’t working in our lives in the same way. That’s not the way we’re supposed to be. In fact, God warns us about that in the 10 commandments:

Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

And there is a very important reason for the prohibition:

Proverbs 14:30 “The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.”

For additional worship: Now Thank We All Our God (Reawaken Hymns)

Psalm 35:17-22 “Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions. I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people. Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land. Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, ‘Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!’ You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.”

Once again, we see the audacity of the ungodly as they continue to point their fingers at ones more righteous than they are in order to accuse them. The cry of the godly is for God to see it and help, with the promise of continued praise when He does!

For additional worship: Praise Him, Praise Him (Ernie Haase)