Do Not Fret; God's Got This

September 1st, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Psalm 37:1-6 A Psalm of David. 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. 2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7; Luke 6), He said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). In other words, the blessings of God are not on the mighty and strong but on the humble, for they will inherit the earth, not the physically strong and arrogant despots. Written one thousand years prior to Jesus’ Sermon, Psalm 37 is all about meekness and inheriting God’s earth for eternity. J.M. Boice says that Psalm 37 “unfolds the character of the meek or trusting person in the face of the apparent prosperity of the wicked.”

As the first line indicates, Psalm 37 is another Davidic psalm. The events that inspired this writing, however, are not given. As indicated in the two OT books of Samuel, David experienced many battles and witnessed many hardships inflicted by “evildoers” (v. 1). It would have been easy for him to “fret,” which means to get heated, “because of evildoers,” but he learned not to and teaches others to do the same. Instead, David teaches us to have a quiet spirit, trusting God in the midst of any and all turmoil. In short, David tells us to chill in the midst of turmoil and injustice. Although the enemies of God may at times seem to be on the winning side, “they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb” (v. 2). In other words, what may seem today like great injustices done in favor of the wicked, God will indeed judge the wicked.

In vv. 3-11, the answer to life’s struggles is to look up, to “trust in the Lord” (Heb. Yahweh) and “do good.” We experience difficulties in life when we observe evil. It affects our sensibilities and causes us angst, even depression if the focus becomes prolonged. Hope can fade like a vapor, leaving us distraught during prolonged times of despair. The remedy is to move our focus from evil onto the Lord Almighty and “trust” Him (cf. Prov. 3:5-6). After all, trust is faith. And since faith is also an action, upon turning our gaze to Yahweh, we “do good.”

Immediately following the return of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19), He will reign on the earth for one thousand years—the Millennium (Rev. 20). It is then that Jesus will reign supreme with His people alongside Him. This is the ultimate inheritance of the land for God’s people—the meek-gentle-humble. It is the land-promise given to Abraham and his seed (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 13; 15; 17; 22; cf. Gal. 3:16, 29). Leading up to this ultimate fulfillment, God’s faithful are to “live in the land and cultivate faithfulness” (v. 3). Wherever you are, be faithful! God is in control.

In vv. 4-5, there are two instructions for the faithful: “Delight yourself in the Lord,” and “commit your way to the Lord”—to unload your burden and give it to God. What God will then do is grant the desires of all who trust in Him, for “He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun” (NLT).

Food For Thought
In vv. 7-15, the NLT summarizes the Christian attitude for the here and now: Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.