Psalm 37:1-40
A Psalm of David.

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] And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment as the noonday.

[7] 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 carries out wicked schemes.

[8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.

[9] For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

[10] Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.

[11] But the humble will inherit the land,
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

[12] The wicked plots against the righteous,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

[13] The Lord laughs at him;
For He sees his day is coming.

[14] The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow,
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slay those who are upright in conduct.

[15] Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

[16] Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.

[17] For the arms of the wicked will be broken;
But the Lord sustains the righteous.

[18] The Lord knows the days of the blameless;
And their inheritance will be forever.

[19] They will not be ashamed in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

[20] But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures,
They vanish-- like smoke they vanish away.

[21] The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.

[22] For those blessed by Him will inherit the land;
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

[23] The steps of a man are established by the Lord;
And He delights in his way.

[24] When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong;
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

[25] I have been young, and now I am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Or his descendants begging bread.

[26] All day long he is gracious and lends;
And his descendants are a blessing.

[27] Depart from evil, and do good,
So you will abide forever.

[28] For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever;
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

[29] The righteous will inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.

[30] The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.

[31] The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.

[32] The wicked spies upon the righteous,
And seeks to kill him.

[33] The Lord will not leave him in his hand,
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

[34] 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.

[35] I have seen a violent, wicked man
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

[36] Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.

[37] Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright;
For the man of peace will have a posterity.

[38] But transgressors will be altogether destroyed;
The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

[39] But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.

[40] And the Lord helps them, and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.


Psalm 37

Open It

* 1. What are some of the dangers in trying to get rich?
2. What do you think are some of the blessings of not being rich?
3. Why do you think more people seek wealth than righteousness?

Explore It

4. What advice does this psalm give concerning evil people? (37:1-2)
5. Why should the righteous not envy the wicked? (37:1-2)
6. What comparison is the dominant theme of this psalm? (37:1-40)
* 7. What did David expect to happen to the wicked? (37:1-40)
8. What did David say people should do instead of worrying about the success of evildoers? (37:3-7)
* 9. What specific list of actions did David advise God’s people to take? (37:3-8, 27, 30-31, 34)
10. What are the consequences of worrying? (37:8)
* 11. What will be the results of trusting in the Lord? (37:3-40)
12. What reasons did David give to motivate his listeners to take his advice? (37:3-40)
13. What can God’s people expect? (37:10, 20, 35-36)
14. What does the psalm say about the meek? (37:11)
15. How are the wicked described? (37:12, 14)
16. Why does the Lord laugh at the wicked? (37:13)
17. How will the schemes of the wicked backfire? (37:15)
18. When is having “a little” better than being wealthy? (37:16-17)
19. How does God show His delight in people? (37:23-24)
20. What did David learn from his long life of experience? (37:25-26)
21. What blessings do the righteous enjoy? (37:27-31, 33-34, 39-40)

Get It

22. What can we learn from David’s observations of the wicked and the righteous?
23. What lessons have you learned from other mature Christians?
* 24. How is David’s comparison of the righteous and wicked in this psalm relevant to us today?
25. What does this passage teach us about envy of others?
26. What does this psalm teach us about worry?
* 27. What are the benefits of trusting in the Lord and seeking righteousness?
28. What is more important than trying to get rich or financially secure?
29. How can we guard against greed?
30. What blessings from the Lord do you enjoy?
31. What advice in this psalm about trusting God would you like to work on following?

Apply It

32. What concern of yours can you entrust to the Lord in prayer?
33. How can you make sure your priority lies in seeking to please God rather than in seeking wealth?
* 34. What is one thing you can do to entrust your life, family, and future to God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:


Not fretting because of evildoers.

Not envious toward wrongdoers.

Trusting in the Lord and doing good.

Delighting myself in the Lord.

Commiting my way to the Lord.

Resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for Him

Not fretting because of him who prospers in his way and the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Ceasing from anger and forsaking wrath.

Not fretting.

Inheriting the land and delighting in abundant prosperity.

Being gracious and giving.

Inheriting the land and dwelling in it forever.

Uttering wisdom and speaking justice.

Waiting for the Lord and keeping His way.

Being exalted to inherit the land.