Has Your Envy Led To Worry? (Psalm 37:1-7)
GIST: Don’t let envy of the lost lead to worry, but focus your heart deliberately on Jesus instead.
Though this morning is not the last week of our “summer in the psalms”, we are coming to what will likely be our last psalm. Psalm 37 is a fairly lengthy psalm, 40 verses, and reads kind of like a proverb in the sense that many of the verses present lines of advice which could be taken up as their own points of application. We know it was written by David because it starts by telling us that, and we know that it was written by David when he was an older man because verse 25 literally says, “I have been young, and now am old…”. As such, it is a psalm of reflection.
From the beginning, we see that the primary area of concern here is becoming envious of people who reject Jesus and live more prosperous or easy lives than we do. I’m sure that’s not something any of us would want to admit to struggling with, but I know it’s a reality for us all. It’s hard not to look at the people around us and start comparing notes. And, if they are not Christians, but seem happy and healthy and successful in the eyes of the world while we’re just struggling to get by, it’s easy to wish our lives could be more like theirs and free from the expectations that come with being a child of God in a broken world. David quickly explains why we should not fall into this trap and then spends much of the rest of the psalm explaining what we should be doing instead. I’m not exactly sure how many Sundays this will take, but I want to just take one chunk at a time in an attempt to allow each to really sink in.
For this morning, here’s our gist: Don’t let envy of the lost lead to worry, but focus your heart deliberately on Jesus instead.
Let’s start with the backdrop for the entire passage→
I. Don’t Let Envy Of The Lost Lead To Worry
Look at verses 1-2. “1 Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
There are at least two big admonitions here: fret not and envy not. So first, though in a lesser degree, we do see what can be taken in the context of all Scripture as a general call to→
Fret Not-- We are living in worry-stricken times. I’m not going to stand here and try putting on a false face. It’s hit me too. But I know better and try to remind myself of this truth—I’m not in control, but Jesus is!
You’ve probably heard me quote this picture my grandma had hanging up in her house: Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere! (Interestingly, that was actually hanging above a rocking chair ☺️.) From personal experience, I know worry is like a plague. It consumes your heart and takes over your thoughts and your conversations. It’s easy to let concerns about the coronavirus and social unrest literally find its way into every moment, but guys (and I say this as much to me as anyone), life is too short to waste it.
The broader picture here is not to worry because your to→
Envy Not. Like I said in opening, that’s not a word any of us ever want to be associated with. We don’t want to admit we’re discontented or jealous of what others have. But this comes up pretty often in the psalms because it’s a real struggle to watch those who despise God enjoy life more than you. Let me try to address how we should avoid this temptation. I find these two truths to be helpful. First→
1. This ignores the bigger picture of those trapped in sin. They might seem to have everything going for them, but they are experiencing their best life now! As David explains here and will continue to develop throughout the psalm, the end result of following after ourselves and rejecting Jesus...is Hell. That’s not something worth envying.
2. This ignores the bigger picture of those who are rescued from sin. And really, that’s our next point. Don’t envy the lost and don’t be consumed by worry. Instead, and the rest of this psalm is a series of insteads, →
II. Focus Your Heart Deliberately On Jesus
Unlike for the lost, our best life is to come! You know that, right? So do I. The question then is… why don’t we live like that? If we envy the earthly success of those around us, we’re forgetting how eternally more blessed we are in Jesus. And I get it. It’s hard to look forward to things that are unseen. Yet, what we do see is passing away. What we don’t see, the amazing blessings for those in Christ and the terrible condemnations for those who have rejected Him, will last forever. We have to remind ourselves of this perspective.
I know this sounds like a very generic “preachery” thing to say, and I always want to be conscious of that. Let me just be very honest with you guys. I know I probably make statements like this a lot in my sermons, but I don’t want it to come across as trite or passé. This truth is hard for me. I know it. I preach it. And… I wrestle with it, too. Why would we even be tempted to want any life other than the one God has promised us? Because we still view this world through broken lenses. We need our hearts and minds renewed daily and our eyes refocused constantly.
It reminds me of this novel series I just recently finished reading. It was a young adult fantasy series (I’m a sucker for a good fantasy novel!) where the magical world could only be seen by humans if they drank this special milk (I know that sounds strange, but the stories are excellent). If they fail to do so, a fairy might just look like a butterfly and a saytar might just look like a goat and a monster could be overlooked completely. So, to really understand the world they were living in, the main characters had to make sure their eyes were ready to see it. Otherwise, they would miss both the real beauty and danger around them.
In the same way, we need to view the world with the right perspective. (Rope illustration: The tip is your life now. The rest is eternity.) Before we are ready to face this world, we need our eyes to be working correctly. Verses 3-7 show us part of how we do that. First →
“3 Trust in the LORD,” Instead of worrying about earthly gains or wishing your life were more like you had planned, trust that the creator of the universe who knit you together in your mother’s womb knows what He’s doing. Again, as Tim Keller reminds me, I am vastly under qualified for the role of God! Trust in the One who is truly our Sovereign Lord! Look to Him for hope and lean on Him in dependence. →
“...and do good;” This one keeps coming up lately, doesn’t it? There is a reason for that. Clearly, we need to hear this. Your life won’t be like those who have rejected Christ because you realize that you have a higher calling, a purpose. You were made for something more, so live differently. Strive to be always about His work—love God, love people!
Then, you’ll be living like you “...dwell in the land”. This is one of those passages that is hard to translate directly from the Hebrew, so you might find various ways of expressing this thought. The gist remains. Like the Israelites we’re moving toward the promised land, so are we. That is the place of safety and belonging (His presence). Instead of trying to get what the world has, remember you were made for another world! Which gives me an excuse to use my favorite C.S. Lewis quote! “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” You were. Live like it. You don’t need all the things the world seems to be selling. We should be able to say with confidence, you can have all this world, but give me Jesus. If that’s not where our hearts are right now, we know what we need to be praying for! Change my heart →
“and befriend faithfulness”. Or cultivate faithfulness. This means focusing on being more like Him by intentionally feeding your heart the things of Heaven. It’s with that kind of heart change that verse 4, one of the most misquoted verses in Scripture, can become your reality. Check out this awesome promise! →
“4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” What is this not teaching? It’s not teaching you that God is going to give you whatever you want whenever you want it. Everyone loves to jump on that second part without paying attention to the command that leads to the promise. If we delight ourselves in the Lord, if our joy comes from being with Him and learning from Him and serving Him with our lives, then our desires will change. We will want what He wants, so our desires, new and upright, will be fulfilled! Charles Spurgeon put it like this: “In a certain sense imitate the wicked; they delight in their portion—take care to delight in yours, and so far from envying you will pity them.” By nature, we delight in what benefits us the most tangibly. When our lives have been transformed by His rescuing grace, we look at the world through new eyes. Now, being with Him and seeing Him move in the lives around us is what should bring us the most joy. So →
“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.” Seek first His kingdom and righteousness...and He will work out all the details. Trust Him. He’s moving. Seek Him. He will work in your life and change your heart. He will cover you in His righteousness and plead your case in a way that isn’t hidden in the shadows. Stand boldly for Him trusting that He is supporting you, holding you up.
And lastly→“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!” Don’t be consumed by worry. Wait. Oh, how we don’t like that word! But wait—expecting Him to be who He has always been. Be still and know that He is God.
Here are our quick→
TAKEAWAYS
Don’t envy the lost. Pray for them.
Be deliberate about focusing your heart on Jesus.
gspot.com/2020/08/pondering-do-you-realize-how-much-you.html
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