Day 1 • Psalm 37 Delight Yourself in the Lord! Douglas Sean O’Donnell

Like Psalm 1, Psalm 37 sets the future of the righteous against the dark backdrop of the “wicked,” named fourteen times (Ps. 37:10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 28, 32, 34, 35, 38, 40) and also called “evildoers” (vv. 1, 9), “wrongdoers” (v. 1), “enemies of the Lord” (v. 20), “ruthless” men (v. 35), and “transgressors” (v. 38). Echoing the opening psalm— “the way of the wicked will perish” (Ps. 1:6)—David vividly describes the doom of the ungodly. He writes, “They will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (Ps. 37:1) and “[They are] like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away” (v. 20). Psalm 37 is an acrostic poem that uses the Hebrew alphabet to aid in memorization and add artistry to its truth. It is also often described as a “wisdom” psalm because it shares themes found in the wisdom literature of the Bible. Similar to the book of Proverbs, it emphasizes the timeless worth of righteousness. While justice is coming to the wicked, the righteous who “trust in the Lord, and do good” (v. 3) have the sure promise of abundant and everlasting life (the meek “shall inherit the land”; vv. 9, 22; see Matt. 5:5). While as men we might be tempted to envy the wicked (Ps. 37:1) or to violently take matters into our own hands (v. 8), this inspired psalm exhorts us to turn from evil (v. 27), wait patiently for God’s justice (vv. 7, 34), and put God first. We are to commit our ways to him (v. 5), take refuge in him (v. 40), and delight ourselves in the Lord (v. 4). When the scoffers mock us for wanting to live holy lives and to wholly delight in Jesus Christ, let us “rejoice and be glad,” knowing that our reward will be greater than anything we can imagine (Matt 5:12). In the all-joyous presence of our Savior, the new heavens and the new earth shall be ours!