TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD
Passage: Psalm 37:1~22  
Key verse: 4
Psalm 37[a]Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)
8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)
12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)
14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.(D)
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
4 Take delight(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him(I) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)
8 Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)
12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(AA)
14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
and their bows will be broken.(AF)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
Footnotes
- Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Cross references
- Psalm 37:1 : Pr 3:31; 23:17-18
- Psalm 37:1 : Ps 73:3; Pr 24:19
- Psalm 37:2 : S 2Ki 19:26; Job 14:2; Ps 102:4; Isa 40:7
- Psalm 37:2 : ver 38; Ps 90:6; 92:7; Jas 1:10
- Psalm 37:3 : Dt 30:20
- Psalm 37:3 : Eze 34:14; Jn 10:9
- Psalm 37:4 : S Job 27:10
- Psalm 37:4 : S Job 7:6; Ps 21:2; 145:19; Mt 6:33
- Psalm 37:5 : Ps 4:5
- Psalm 37:6 : Ps 18:24; 103:17; 112:3
- Psalm 37:6 : S Job 11:17
- Psalm 37:7 : S Ex 14:14; S Isa 41:1
- Psalm 37:7 : S Ps 27:14; 40:1; 130:5; Isa 38:13; Hab 3:16; Ro 8:25
- Psalm 37:7 : ver 1
- Psalm 37:7 : Jer 12:1
- Psalm 37:7 : Ps 21:11; 26:10; 119:150
- Psalm 37:8 : Eph 4:31; Col 3:8
- Psalm 37:8 : ver 1
- Psalm 37:9 : S Ps 31:22; 101:8; 118:10; Pr 2:22
- Psalm 37:9 : Isa 25:9; 26:8; 40:31; 49:23; 51:5
- Psalm 37:9 : ver 22; Ps 25:13; Isa 49:8; 57:13; Mt 5:5
- Psalm 37:10 : S Job 7:10; Eze 27:36
- Psalm 37:11 : S Nu 14:24; Mt 5:5
- Psalm 37:11 : S Lev 26:6; S Nu 6:26
- Psalm 37:12 : Ps 2:1; 31:13
- Psalm 37:12 : S Job 16:9; Ps 35:16; 112:10
- Psalm 37:13 : 1Sa 26:10; Eze 12:23
- Psalm 37:14 : S Ps 22:20
- Psalm 37:14 : Ps 11:2
- Psalm 37:14 : S Ps 35:10
- Psalm 37:15 : S Ps 9:16
- Psalm 37:15 : S 1Sa 2:4; Ps 46:9; Jer 49:35
- Psalm 37:16 : Pr 15:16; 16:8
- Psalm 37:17 : Job 38:15; Ps 10:15
- Psalm 37:17 : Ps 41:12; 140:12; 145:14; 146:7
- Psalm 37:18 : S Job 23:10; Ps 44:21
- Psalm 37:18 : ver 27, 29
- Psalm 37:20 : S Ps 34:21
- Psalm 37:20 : Ps 68:2; 102:3; Isa 51:6
- Psalm 37:21 : S Lev 25:35; Ps 112:5
- Psalm 37:22 : S Job 5:3
- Psalm 37:22 : ver 9
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
There are those who are evil in this world. God's people should not fret, because he is living. We must trust in the LORD and live before him. He is our source of delight and joy in this world. When we fret because of the schemes of the wicked, we lose sight of God and are tempted to turn to evil. When we wait patiently and trust in the LORD, we are made righteous and have eternal hope in the LORD.
2. The LORD upholds the righteous (10-22)
Wicked men scheme to crush the poor and needy, plot against the righteous, and amass worldly wealth. The LORD laughs at them. He is the judge, and they are like flowers that are here one day, then consumed and up in smoke. The Lord blesses those who live upright lives and depend on him in their weakness. He upholds the righteous and blesses them with a godly inheritance.
Prayer: LORD, help me not to fret at the wicked and evil in this world. Help me to be upright and entrust my whole life to you.
One Word: Take delight in the LORD