Evil People Get Away With Everything

Recently, while reading Psalm 37, I realized that it is basically written as an instruction booklet!

It seems like God doesn't punish bad people. It seems like evil people get away with everything. What's the use in being good and doing the right things?

Here's God's answer, straight to us. (Psalm 37:1-9)

These are commands. They are not based in feeling, but in what God directs us.

1) Do not fret

because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

2) Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture

3) Delight yourself in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

4) Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him

and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

5) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

6) Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Devotional Thought:

Three times the command, "Do not fret" is repeated. This phrase basically means to not allow yourself to be worked up in anger or vexation. Don't be angry about it, don't worry about it, don't get worked up about it. Instead,

• Trust in the Lord -- focus on God, and not the evil person, have faith in Him.
• Delight in the Lord -- moving from faith to emotion; this is becoming real to us
• Commit your own way to the Lord -- Now the focus is on us. What about the way we are living and acting? Is it pleasing to the Lord? Is it committed to the Lord?
• Wait patiently for the Lord. Oh dear. We thought that after we did the right thing, He would punish those people .... Sorry, but He basically says that the wicked will continue to succeed. This is not a formula for expecting God to act. These are instructions to change our focus.

So now, after telling us that the situation is not likely to change, and He wants us to wait for Him, He again reminds us: Do not fret! Refrain from anger! Turn from wrath! Do not fret! Lol, I think God understands us. About this time, we were getting upset again, so He again instructs us four times in a row to not worry ourselves about it!

Trust, delight, commit, and quietly wait. Lord, help us to think and act in a way that pleases you!