It seems that the only thing we Americans have in common anymore is that we are all angry at someone. Whether it be in the pages of formerly reputable newspapers, in the studios of TV news shows, on the streets of cities filled with protesters, or just in our Facebook feeds, we encounter one “rant” after another. And it’s all too easy to give in to the hate, to sit in judgment on one another, to assume that if anyone disagrees with us, he or she must be a fool at best or an idiot at worst.

So, maybe we all need to take a step back and listen to what King David has to say in Psalm 37. After all, he was no stranger to abuse and injustice – he spent a good portion of his life on the run because King Saul falsely accused him of being a rebel. Later, his own son Absalom tried to kill him in order to seize the throne of Israel. And yet David could say, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evil doing” (verse 8).

How could David remain so calm? Because he was trusting in God to judge the wicked. David knew that all those who live in a wicked way, those who remain in rebellion against God would eventually be “cut off” (v. 9). And such trust in God’s perfect justice freed him from his anger, allowing him to rest in the Lord, to wait on God’s timing to set all things right (v. 7).

But trusting in God isn’t just the best way to avoid anger – it’s also the key to contentment. For look at verse 4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” That’s the good news – God Himself is the greatest blessing we could possibly have. And God offers Himself to everyone who will receive Christ as Savior and bow the knee to Him as Lord.

So, what more could we want? If we have Christ Himself, why should we envy those who do wrong? So instead of living in anger and fear, why not commit our lives to the Lord, trusting Him to do what is right (vv. 5-6)?

Psalm 37 (NASB)

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.