Of David.
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend 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 in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
In Hebrew, this psalm is an acrostic where the first letter of every stanza begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
This psalm exhorts us not to be overly concerned about the wicked who seem to prosper even though they reject God. Instead will should trust in God who will bring about justice.
All around us we see those who do not live God’s way and they seem to be successful and enjoy all the pleasures this world has to offer. Do not be envious of them because they will soon fade like the grass, their lives will disappear in insignificance. Instead, we should trust in the Lord who can answer our heartfelt prayers and give us the desires of our heart. If we delight in the Lord, then our desires will also be righteous and aligned with God’s character and will. If we focus on the lives of the wicked and their apparent success, then that leads to envy or anger, both are unhelpful and sinful.
Verse 4 stood out for me and reminded me to really delight in the Lord instead of just going through the motions of your relationship with Him.