Psalm 37:1-2 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb
If you have little children, you probably have heard the question, “Are we there yet?” whenever you have taken a trip. Probably five times during the trip they say, “Are we there yet?” Your perspective of time is greatly shaped by your age. That is why for a ten-year-old time seems to go forever and for an eighty-year-old it seems short, and not just the time ahead, but also the time behind. It seems like it is gone just in a moment. When my daughter was just a little kid, she once asked me, “Daddy, why does the Bible say that life is so short when it seems so long?” That is just a matter of perspective on time.
Psalm 37:1 says, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” It is easy and always has been to look the world over and see people who are not doing right doing well and to feel as if the wrong is winning. Verse 2 says, “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and whither as the green herb.” So, don’t be envious or fret because of evildoers. The Bible goes on to say to trust in the Lord, delight in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Fret not! What you find is that the difference between faith and fret is how you see time.
The long game is really all that matters, and as you look at Psalm 37, notice all the time designations. Verse 2 says, “For they shall soon be cut down.” Verse 10 says, “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Verse 13 says, “The LORD shall laugh at him [the wicked]: for he seeth that his day is coming.” How much differently would you feel about the world if you could see time as God sees time? It might be a significant difference.
Look at the designations of forever. Verse 18 says, “The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.” Again, verse 28 says, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” Verse 29 says, “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.”
Look what the Bible says about the end. Verses 38-39 say, “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD.” Friend, the long game is all that matters. You may be concerned about November and the upcoming elections. That is important, but that is short. Maybe you have some twenty-year plan. I’m all for that, but in the scheme of things that is still a short game. You might think about the money you are all planning to make in the next year. All these things have their place of importance, but all that matters is the long game. The short game is small ball.
Verse 34 says, “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land.” So, wait. We ought to trust God, but here we are talking about patiently trusting God; that is waiting. Don’t just trust in the Lord today, wait on the LORD because the difference between faith and fret is how you see time.