1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

2For 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.

10In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Have you ever had the moment where you look around and think everybody else is so strong; I am not able to prevail. The powerful appear to be invincible. But they are not. The anxiety that accompanies new starts, or conflict, or struggle can leave us thinking small, and looking for short cuts.

David’s prayer in Psalm 37 ushers us into the presence of God. These words redirect us to not look upon others or even those who do evil as if they are going to last forever. But instead to delight in and wait on, and commit our way to Lord who lasts. He shall cause the meek to inherit the earth. Such controlled strength is a gift of the Spirit of God and it can be exercised as we enlarge our view of God.